


The Roommate Agreement

by TrueWords



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Friends With Benefits, Roommates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-02-28 17:29:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18761086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TrueWords/pseuds/TrueWords
Summary: Because sometimes sharing the rent with someone you barely spoke to in high school seems like the perfect idea. Veronica and Jughead, both mature and grown ups now, decide to move in together and agree to a set of rules to avoid world war III. But rules are meant to be broken... right?





	1. Veronica

**Author's Note:**

> And we're back with another Jeronica fic !!!!!
> 
> This one is much lighter than my current fic, Chronicles of Southside High and is actually a break from it. Everything from the tone to the writing is completely different but I still have a lot of fun writing this fic.  
> I don't know if anyone has done this trope with Jeronica, probably, they are sooo iconic.
> 
> Anyway, huge thanks to my beta, **veronicassadboi (tumblr)**
> 
>  
> 
> **PS : here's the link to the story's gallery, where you can find the pictures of the flat, outfits, etc ... https://imgur.com/a/3q1zdt2 !**
> 
>  
> 
> Enjoy!

“I know it’s a little bit out of your price range.... But I thought since we’re here, we might as well check it out right?”

Veronica _knows_ that sentence and she nods politely as the real estate agent guides her into the flat. She wants to mention that Sundays are the only days that are just for herself and that she really needs to find a place closer to her work. Not that she minds living in Queens and keeping her pencil skirts and Valentino dresses in a suitcase just to be sure they don’t get ruined.

No really it’s all _great_. She loves being back in New York, without a trust fund no less.

But Veronica doesn’t mention it, she just doesn't and follows the agent inside. And of course the place is absolutely gorgeous, there is more space than she could ever use. There are two bedrooms, two bathrooms and hell... the smallest room is bigger than her current flat!

“They are two rooms...” She points out, keeping her tone neutral. “I was more thinking of a me, myself and I situation. A studio in this neighborhood will be fine.” Because Veronica Lodge doesn’t do roommates , not that she doesn’t like the interaction, the friendship and all of _that_. She simply doesn’t have the time, nor the patience to cultivate new friendships. Her longest one is with Betty and Archie. Yes, they are an item now, and studying at the same college as well. She skypes them from time to time and whenever they are in the city, she makes an effort to have lunch with them. That’s simple, easy, they’ve known her for years so there is no room for pretending. In here, she doesn’t really do friends, she has a boss, colleagues and lovers and that works for her.

“Yes I know but...” They are back in the living room and just as the agent is about to plead her case, the door opens once more.

“Right this way Mister Jones.”

Veronica follows the voice and most importantly, she follows the man. And she is literally stunned as the door revealed Jughead Jones, in the flesh. He’s with his own real estate agent and his face goes from pure disinterest to something else as he looks down at her, a snarky smile on his face.

She should say something really she _should_ , but the fact is, she hasn’t seen Jughead in years. He left Riverdale a couple of months before her and was never heard of again. He didn’t give any news to Betty and Archie, so why would he inform her? It’s not like they were best friends or even _friends_ back in the days, they dated each other’s best friends and tolerated each other after their respective break ups.

But here he was, taller than she remembered. No beanie on his hair, but instead the dark locks were pushed back, only a few curls falling on his face. His green eyes looked sharper, as well as his whole face and his entire frame.  What was once a skinny teenager clearly lacking sleep had become a young man with a slender figure and well defined muscles.

He looked... well he looked _different_.

“Well, well... if it isn't Veronica Lodge herself. I should have known New York was a bad idea, it’s _your_ town.” His tone is playful and his smile still in place. It’s good enough for Veronica to smile back, already rolling her eyes.

“You? In the city? You have to be kidding me... you know half Riverdale suspected you’d be in prison by now, or something more dreadful.”

“I’m talking to you so...”

That does make her laugh, apparently his tortured and outcast phase had grown into a very dark humor. Not that she minds, that’s her best weapon these days. She finally notices the agents who are trying to talk to each and one of them. Jughead glances at his own agent, rolls his eyes and follows her to the nearest room. Not before he throws a wink in Veronica’s direction.

And her eyes seem to have a mind of their own as they remain on Jughead, staring at the broad shoulders trapped in his leather jacket.

Since when does Jughead Jones look like an older and somehow sexier version of James Dean? She has no idea when it happened, but Veronica is sure of two things, one she really needs to text Betty about all of this, and second, she should really pay attention to what the agent is telling her about the benefits of maybe having a roommate. And not living on her own.

Veronica feels like she’s suddenly talking to her mother... Or maybe she’s trapped in a very bad and low budget rom-com. But she didn’t apply that amount of mascara and wear her most comfortable Louboutin for _this_.

“Look this is all well and good, but that means I actually have to find _someone_ to live with.” The thought is stupid, ridiculous, more than not having the time, she likes her privacy. She loves prancing around without any makeup on, wearing a large Ralph Lauren shirt and sipping Mimosas by herself on a Sunday morning, with a good book. In peace. Alone. A roommate would definitely mess that up.

The agent however is persistent and tells her to think about it, that’s before she has another call that she _absolutely_ has to take. She excuses herself and heads out just as Veronica spins around to look at the living room and the more than very comfortable couch. She can easily picture herself here, a little bit too easily. The kitchen is big enough to do some actual cooking and not just mix a smoothie before power walking to work. And it’s closer to work. If she’s being honest, she’s really tired of waking up at 5am to start her prepping routine. Veronica is engrossed in her thoughts, clutching her designer bag like she often does when she’s unsure about something, and Jughead chooses that precise moment to make another appearance.

“Yeah that place is great... But I was looking for something smaller. Something just for myself.”

“I said the same thing like five seconds ago Jones.” mumbles Veronica in this direction, almost shocked to hear that their trains of thoughts are similar. That never used to happen before and she definitely has to text Betty and ask her if Jughead has always been _this_ tall. Or maybe it’s because he’s not slouching anymore.

Jughead’s eyes land on her one more time and he appears to think for a full minute, only to flash another grin in Veronica’s direction. He apparently just came out to a conclusion, she doesn’t know on what but he sure does look cute while doing so.

_... Yep, definitely texting Betty later._

“You like this place?” He starts tentatively, taking one step in Veronica’s direction.

“Yes... It’s... well it’s perfect.”

“I’m thinking the same thing. And there are two rooms.” He takes another step and Veronica frowns, not seeing where this is all headed.

“Yes, that’s kind of the issue, Jughead.”

“And there are two of us.” Another step and if he keeps this up, he’s going to breach that unspoken agreement about her personal space.

“Yes... so _what_? We just move in together and share the rent?” Veronica means to say it as a joke, because it can only be the beginning of a joke with a very satisfying punchline. Veronica Lodge and Jughead Jones, living together.

The princess and the loner.

The raven-haired trust fund baby and the weirdo with a beanie.

Except that a lot of time has passed, it’s not Riverdale and he’s not wearing his infamous hat and she stopped wearing her pearls a long time ago. So maybe they are different people; who can be civil to each other and maybe this could work.

She was too focused thinking about this ... possibility that she somehow missed Jughead taking his final step in her direction. They are now close, Veronica has to look up a lot in fact to meet his green eyes and she does her best not to notice his Adam’s apple so much, as he looks down as well.

“Would that be so crazy _Veronica_ ?” It’s her name and it shouldn’t feel this weird to hear Jughead say it. But he has always prefered Lodge, or _princess_ or _spoiled brat_... let’s just say that even when they were tolerating each other, meaning when she was dating Archie and he was dating Betty, they were still being themselves. So right now, it’s the most civil he’s ever been.

“Well... you’re you. And I’m me. This could go terribly wrong.” The brunette doesn’t even know why she’s playing devil’s advocate in this instance.

“This isn’t high school.” He points out, with unexpected maturity. Unexpected because she doesn't know him. _Yes_ , it hits her, she doesn’t know Jughead Jones at all. Not back then and certainly not now. “There’s no blond with a ponytail or ginger with a heart of gold. I can behave.”

“ _Can_ you?” This time, Veronica is just teasing, just to see his reaction. Jughead chuckles, she didn’t expect the sound and she didn’t expect him to be this... this... _cool_ about it.

“Yes I can. Look, I need a place to live and so do you. We both save some money, plus you don’t live with a complete stranger... what’s the worst that can happen?” Jughead once again has a point, he seems strangely okay with the idea of living with Veronica.

“We can’t fight. And we _have_ to be civil to each other.” She insists on each word of that sentence actually, doing her best to summon her bitchy voice. It’s the tone Veronica usually reserve for emergencies at work, and being an assistant at W magazine, there are a lot of emergencies, however Jughead needs to knows this is serious.

“Well _duh_. We don’t want world war III to happen... what else you got?” He’s smiling, of course he is, he’s grinning actually, like a kid in a candy store or... like he used to do back in the days when he was in front of a burger. See? She does remember some things about him. But his smile is not helping her, not helping her at all so she pinches him in the arm, just for good measure and so he can focus. She’s not even sure he felt it with his jacket on...

“.... I need to be up super early, so no noise beyond reason on weekdays.” Veronica adds quickly, trying to think of the worst. Maybe not 5am anymore, but 6am is still early for most people. She needs to go for a quick run, shower, get her makeup and hair done and arrive at the office before anyone else. That takes time and focus and dedication and...

Jughead rolls his eyes, adorably so, already replying and shutting down her thoughts. “Don’t worry, you’ll get your beauty sleep. I work from home so I’ll be in my own room most of the time and you won’t hear a thing.”

“Good...” She resists the urge to ask him about his own work, figure out there would be plenty of time to talk about that later.

“Was that all?” Jughead does his best to mimic her bossy tone, he almost succeeds. _Almost_.

“And the spaces we share have to be clean... like you can’t just leave a dirty dish in the sink for two days.” Yes, living without a staff or a maid or someone to do that kind of house chores had made Veronica more than aware. She usually cleans when she is angry, but that’s not something Jughead needs to know. At least not right now.

“Okay, you’re a neat freak noted.”

She lets the insults slide, because she figures he’s right about this. “And no messing up my Netflix list.” That comes out of the blue.  Jughead however gasps, as if she just insulted the Pope or something.

“God no... that’s sacred, I won’t ever touch that, I swear on my life.”

“On your life Jughead?” It’s Veronica’s turn to smile brightly it appears, her expression almost matching Jughead’s.

“Yes Veronica, on my life.”

“......We should put that in writing.” Because she is a Lodge and if there is one thing she has learned over the years is that people are more willing to commit to something once it’s written down.

“If that makes you feel better then _yes.”_ Jughead rolls his eyes once more before he takes one full glance of the room. “So we’re doing this or what?”

“Yes Jughead, we’re doing this.”

And she can’t believe it, especially the part where Jughead, still smiling that soft smile, extends an hand. They shake hands, all mature and civilised and they both turn to their respective agents.

 

It takes Veronica exactly one week to get settled in the new flat. First with moving all of her belongings and then purchasing some new furniture to be delivered to the new address, forward her mail and all of those little details that she actually love taking care about.

Yes, Veronica Lodge is nothing but a control freak and she is fine with that.

It’s finally the weekend again, Saturday afternoon to be more precise and she’s pushing the door to their flat with a bright smile and groceries in one hand. She places then inside the fridge, on where she now considers her side and goes to her room.

She chose the room further from the entry door and the biggest it turns out. Jughead had let her decide, shrugging and mumbling : “go ahead, either way it works for me.”

Pushing the door to her new room, Veronica can’t help but be happy with her choice and the colour scheme she picked for her decoration, nothing but pastel tone: blue, light pink and of course off white. She kicks off her heels and collapses on her bed inelegantly, laughing when her face lands on the cover. That’s where she is when her phone rings and her smile grows bigger seeing the picture of Betty on her smartphone.

“Oh my god V how are you? I’m sorry I couldn’t call you I was so busy with all of my classes ... I completely forgot to call you back.”

It’s okay B. I was busy as well... you know with the moving and everything...”

Veronica lets out a happy sigh as she sits up. She for a moment considers standing up and closing the door, she now has a clear view of the corridor but she suddenly feels extremely lazy.

“Yeah the big move in... is the place okay? And did I dream the part where you were living with Jughead?”

Veronica chuckles as she replies, the blond’s surprise audible in her tone. “The place is amazing B. And a bargain considering the price. Much closer to work and ... yeah. Jughead, he should be here any minute now. We did exchange phone numbers and he said he would be settling in the weekend as well.”

“ Okay... it’s just weird you know? It’s _Jughead_. I haven’t heard from him in forever.”

“Yeah I know...”

Veronica nods as she speaks, she also wants to point out that he’s a whole different person. Which makes sense since it’s been years since high school and Riverdale. She changed as well, no parents to hide behind, no more bossing people around or thinking she would just get by easily. Now she works for everything and if she once considered going to law school like Betty, she’s more than happy working in fashion.

So by that logic, Jughead has changed as well. And living with him shouldn’t be _that_ weird.

She could also mention the fact that he got hot. Like in an unsettling I could be cast as James Dean in his upcoming biopic hot. Which is saying a lot considering Veronica’s fondness for old classics. But she doesn’t say any of that, because Jughead is Betty’s ex and they ended thing on a sour note before he left town.

But Veronica being Veronica, she knows how to change the subject and next thing she knows, Betty and her are talking about Archie and potentially meeting for the next holiday.

Hanging up, Veronica feels more exhausted than ever. She should probably take a long shower and eat something and get some well deserved sleep. _Yes_. But the bathroom seems suddenly so far.

Veronica is seriously considering falling asleep like that, in her very new comfortable bed and brand new sheets, no really she spared absolutely no expenses to be comfortable. But that’s before she hears the distinct sound of fumbling keys. There’s more noise and a: “Hey? Anyone home?” the second after.

“I’m in _here_ Jughead. I’m in my room.” Veronica replies in a very lazy tone and she offers him a smile as he appears in her doorframe a few seconds later. He’s wearing that leather jacket again and his whole body take up the space of the entire frame. Jughead’s eyes hover over the room, probably checking out what she did with it and that gives Veronica enough time to study his face and notice a few things.

His hair got longer, at least the few dark locks that fall in front of his eyes seem to be longer, and he has a few beauty spots on his face, she wonders if they’ve always been there and she’s just noticing now. And yeah, he definitely got taller, his legs look impossibly long, maybe it’s just the skinny jeans he’s wearing or the Doc Martens he is currently sporting on giving that effect. Anyway, he is definitely not an awkward teenager anymore.

Their gazes finally meet, and Veronica wonders briefly what she must look like, in her figure sculpting black dress, sprawled out on her bed. Her hair is probably a mess she assumes a few seconds later. She attempts to fix it and whatever was passing through Jughead’s eyes, a flicker of interest maybe? He ends up rolling his eyes and breaking the silence.

“ _Love_ what you’ve done with the place. Now in the spirit of us getting along, I bought pizza. I thought maybe we could share it, as our first official meal as roommates.”  

The idea of food seems more than appealing right now, especially pizza, she tends to avoid junk food as a general rule but what the hell it's the weekend. And more than that, the effort he seems to be making is appreciated.

“Good call Jughead. Just give me a second.”

“Sure.” He nods and proceeds to disappear in the living room.

Veronica closes the door right behind him and decides to just embrace the fact that yeah, they are living together. So she takes a full minute to remove her makeup, and to get out of her dress and to slip into her pyjamas, which consist of a black silk tank top and matching shorts. This is the most casual she can be and it seems okay to hang around the house and eat pizza.

Veronica appears in the living room moment laters, just to see that Jughead has laid out the pizza box, some plate a two glasses of water on the small coffee table. She smiles, it’s really strange to see him this domesticated and she takes the empty space besides him on the couch, sitting cross legged on it.

“So... here’s to many meals on this couch. And don’t worry, I’ll clean later.” He puts two slices on her plate and she’s so hungry, she doesn’t ask what kind of topping he chose, she sees pepperoni, and it smells good so she just dives in nodding gleefully.

“Yep. To many meals on this couch. And next time...” Veronica takes another bite. “I’m buying okay?”

“Fine by me Veronica.”

They eat in a comfortable silence and she’s full after 4 slices while Jughead devours, yes, devours the rest of the pizza. He eats like a starving man and she can say with a certain confidence that it has always been this way. He empties his glass of water after he’s done eating and he slinks back into the couch, humming slightly. There’s another pause, during which Veronica considers falling asleep right here, in front of a movie, Jughead interupts her train of thought -she was mainly thinking of all the TV shows she has to catch up on- when he speaks next.

“So... We haven’t killed each other yet, I’d say we’re off to a pretty good start.”

She chuckles lightly. “Give it a week or two Jughead, it’s just one evening.”

“One can hope. Look...” Jughead sits up and Veronica’s full body turns to him, to listen. “I’ll stay out of your hair and I’m guessing you’re going to do the same. Like I said. This isn’t high school... you obviously changed. So have I. So _this_ ... “ His finger goes back and forth between the two of them. “Is going to work.”

“I want it to work. This place is great. I’m already loving it here.” admits Veronica.

She admires his confidence though, she has been on her own for so long, having someone that close, every day, even just passing by, it’s going to take some adjusting. But she’s willing to make an effort. In a way, she has been focusing so much on work and nothing else those past few years because she wants people to see past the Veronica Lodge façade, past the family money, the heels... She wants to be taken seriously, and sometimes it means setting aside the rest. Living Jughead is not going to derail that, that’s for sure.

But Veronica being Veronica, she stands up next and goes quickly to her room. She leaves Jughead intrigued on the couch, only to come back with a pen and paper.

“I mean what I said the other day Jughead, people are more inclined to commit when something is written on paper.”

“Okay fine... We need rules. Like an understanding.... Like... “

“An agreement. A roommate agreement, just a couple of rules, a few, not to kill each other.”

Jughead nods and Veronica goes back to the questions she asked him when they were visiting the place. She scribbles easily, Jughead leaning close to read, their legs are touching each other, from the ankle to the knee and somehow, this feels comfortable, it’s a new proximity and Veronica thinks to herself that she is okay with that.

She adds a few things to the list, thanks to Jughead’s suggestions, and when she hands him the pen for him to sign over their little agreement, she can’t help but feel... happy? Yes, happy.

  
  


**The roommate agreement**

**roommates : Jughead Jones & Veronica Lodge**

  


  1. _I will ensure to always pay the rent on time and warn my roommate of any potential lack in my finance._
  2. _I will keep the common spaces (living room and kitchen) clean at all time._
  3. _I will keep the noise to a minimum after 11pm on weekdays._
  4. _I will not eat any food labelled for my roommate unless said roommate offers me the food._
  5. _We will share the basic necessities for the food (coffee, tea, milk, water), the kitchen (dishwashing soap, towels, bin bangs) and for the bathroom (toilet paper, hand soap) and make sure to refill them when necessary and share the expenses._
  6. _I will not use my roommate’s Netflix profile unless said roommate is up for a movie night. In which case, we will decide which movie to watch by game of rock/paper/scissors._
  7. _In case I have someone over, I will inform my roommate at least one hour before and I will make sure my guests respect all the mentioned rules._
  8. _We will try as much as possible, to have at least one meal per week together, to catch up and discuss any issue with the apartment._



  


**JUGHEAD JONES**

**VERONICA LODGE**

 

They both sign it and when Jughead suggests to frame it, Veronica throws a pillow in his direction. Only because she can hear the sarcasm in his voice.

“You’ll thank me one day. Trust me. Rules are good. They make everything better.” Veronica insists on that last word and she goes pin their new set of rules to the fridge, just because it seems like the best place for their agreement.

“Hmm... someone’s a control freak.” mumbles Jughead as she makes her way to the couch. “Anyway... movie?”

“Okay but you choose, I’m too tired to think, and please, wake me up if I fall asleep right through it.”

“Will do.”

Jughead does choose, and they end up watching _some like it hot_ , Veronica could be surprised that they seem to have the same taste, but she’s too busy finding a comfortable position on the couch to make that remark.

And maybe she falls asleep during the first ten minutes, but she does wake up in her bed the next day, feeling more rested than ever.

 

They barely see each other during the following week. Veronica starts her new routine of working out, going to work, back home and then straight to sleep. The main advantage is the extra sleep that she gets now that she lives closer to work, she even spots a parc a few minutes from their building where she goes for her morning run. She hops in the shower next and the only sign of Jughead awake at this hour - it’s 6:45 by the time she steps into the kitchen again, fully dressed, light makeup on, and heels in one hand- is the fresh coffee she finds on the counter. She wonders if he even went to sleep, but he did mention he was working from home so... Anyway, then it’s work and it’s easier to be there earlier than everybody else. Because Veronica Lodge is an overachiever. And sure being an assistant is great, but she hopes to have an office by the end of the year.

They finally cross path again on Friday night. When her week is finally over, the last hours have been spent packing up 500 gift bags by herself while making sure her boss was getting her dress for an upcoming party in time, while watching over the interns and taking notes of a video conference happening with one of the photographer in Japan. Yes, Veronica’s job is a bit crazy but she wouldn’t have it any other way. The level of business is exactly what she craves and she has enough to do to prove herself.

But she’s happy to be home, on the couch, in her silk pyjama and her matching nightgown, her glasses on her face, with a pot of tea and her Netflix list. A good Friday night for the Lodge. She’s about to press play on a movie when Jughead’s door swing open.

“I knew I heard you come back... How are you?”

Jughead enters in her line of view when he sits down on her couch right next to her. He’s putting on his boots and tying the shoelaces as he asks the question. He shoots her a lopsided smile and she matches his expression.

“Good. Tired but good. Glad to have a few days by myself.”

“I can see that.” He mentions for the tea and the TV. “Your hours are crazy, I would have already died twice but you do you I guess.” Jughead shrugs and stands up. He straightens his flannel shirt in the process, it matches his dark faded jeans and yes... the leather jacket he’s putting on right now.

“Well I have a plan... and Veronica Lodge doesn’t do easy so...”

“Still, don’t drive yourself crazy.” She eyes him up and down, he’s checking if he has his phone and his wallet at the moment, Veronica wants to ask him why the sudden concern. That doesn’t fall into the roommate spectrum, but still, he cares, she’s not not used to people doing that, well except Archie and Betty that her only reply is a “Yes I’m gonna try.”

Which has Jughead giving her a small pat on the shoulder.

“Well I would ask you to join me but... you’re clearly heading out. Any plans?”

“Hmm... _nah_ . It’s Friday you know? I’ve been cooped up in here for three whole days, time to see the world. In case you haven’t notice, this city does get crazy at night.” And there is something, _something_ in his eyes as he says that, some sort of malice, something a little bit dark, dangerous, that she can quite identify. So she casts it aside... for now.

“It’s supposed to be the city that never sleeps so... I think I get what you mean. Have fun I guess...?”

“ _Oh_ ... I intend to.” And his tone clearly indicates that tonight is _his_ night. That some confidence she’s never seen from him and it’s a bit... enticing? Yes, enticing. He brushes her shoulder once more and heads up for the door. Then half way there, Jughead turns around.

“I’m... I won’t be coming home alone. Just to let you _know_.”

“Thanks for the head up?” Veronica hasn’t meant it to come out as a question, but it does, because Jughead is trying to tell her something else. Maybe the sway of his hips as he finally leaves, or the childish grin she can still see on his face even when the door is closed, indicate that he didn’t finish his sentence.

Wait…

Jughead Jones just went out to get _some_ right?

The realization hits her and she can’t help but laugh, full on laugh, out loud because it took her this long to see what he meant by not coming home alone. She is really tired.

Which is why Veronica retreats to her room a few hours later and some intense binge-watching. Time to go to bed she thinks, folding her glasses neatly on the coffee table. The brunette goes to brush her teeth conscientiously and she glances at the time : 2 am and no sign of Jughead. He really meant what he said about seeing the night.

She has trouble picturing him with a girl... yes, sure, he was Betty’s boyfriend back in high school, and even if they were not big fans of PDA, there had been some signs of affection, kisses, embraces, hugs... But still it had seem pretty innocent in Veronica’s eyes. Maybe because she, on the other hand, is incapable of restraining herself.

When a Lodge wants something, it’s now and without any condition, she takes as much as she gives and it’s always intense. Which explains her own relationship with Archie and then that fling with Reggie. And all of her one night stands ever since, great sex sure, but nothing in between because she doesn’t let herself put her heart on the line like that. She knows better and she knows herself and refuse to fall into old patterns.

With that reflexion, Veronica knows it’s more than time for her to go to bed. She heads to her room, turns off the light, closes the door and slips under the cover. She closes her eyes and sighs deeply.

That’s when Veronica hears the door opening once more.

So Jughead is back. She can sort of hear footsteps and his own door being opened and closed shut. She doesn’t know why but Veronica feels a little bit lighter knowing he’s back, which is ridiculous, they’ve only been living together for a week, she has absolutely no right to be overprotective or worried. He’s a big boy and he can take care of himself that’s for sure.

She turns in her bed, finding a more comfortable position and she tries to mute all thoughts to go back to sleep. Easier said than done, she thinks about Monday, and the list she left on her desk, she will have to start by that first thing. And make sure the launch party was a success, next once she’ll be able to attend for sure and not just oversee the giftb…

“Oh god... _Jughead_!”

If Veronica had been lost in her own thoughts a few seconds ago, the distinct sound of a _moan_ and her roommate name being screamed has her on high alert. That cry is followed by another one, and another and... the voice is _female_ and it’s clearly not a cry of pain, far from it. The girl, whoever she is, is having the time of her life. With Jughead **bloody** Jones. There’s a pause, and then a litany of _“Jughead don’t fucking stop...”_ and _“God yes... right here, right here...”_ and Veronica finds herself stunned in the dark. Maybe she should say something, go knock on the door or...

But she can’t, the sounds, the moans of pleasure are freezing her on the spot and she blushes in the dark, listening, trying to figure out what’s happening exactly and... it’s pretty obvious, at least it should be. Veronica can’t help but be curious, are they just fucking and that’s it? Did he sprawl that girl on his bed, push his jeans to his ankles and... _no_... Somehow, she chooses to picture Jughead too impatient to do that, he probably just unzipped his fly, flashed a grin to his lover for the night and went straight to business. Nice and steady, or maybe hard and fast? Or a bit of both, letting her pleasure build up slowly, only to pick up the pace when she’s least expecting it. And maybe his mouth is trailing kissing on her neck, or maybe lower to her nipples...

Veronica’s imagination is running wild, fed by all the noises she keeps hearing for what seems forever. A few minutes, a good twenty minutes she figures, finally grabbing her phone on the dark and checking the time.

The silence comes back just as quickly, just after a final “ _Jesus Jughead_ ” and another series of moans. And Veronica doesn’t know what’s more unsettling, the fact that she’s blushing, that she was trying to picture him like _this_.... or that he seems to have some great moves.

Yep.

She’s living with Jughead Jones, walking sex god apparently.


	2. Jughead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back from my holidays with another chapter.  
> I'm really glad you guys like the fic and that I picked your interests. 
> 
> Here's more for you. 
> 
> Huge thanks to my beta, veronicassadboi (tumblr)
> 
> PS : here's the link to the story's gallery, where you can find the pictures of the flat, outfits, etc ... https://imgur.com/a/3q1zdt2 !

Jughead wakes up in his favorite position. His face in the nape of Toni’s neck and he can’t help but smile and take a deep breath before planting a kiss right there. It’s enough apparently to wake her up, he feels her move slightly underneath him and he can’t help but laugh when she growls and pushes him on the other side of the bed... Time to wake up _apparently_.

Jughead sits up slowly, his entire body feels heavy and light at the same time, probably the consequences of almost no sleep and a good night of fucking. He fell asleep half naked, his jeans still low on his hips and the zipper is wide opened. Toni on the other hand is completely naked, and as he rubs one hand over his face, trying to chase any trace of sleep away, he can’t help but look down at her and find her _beautiful_.

Yes, Toni Topaz is fucking _hot_ and denying it would be a shame. She’s all curves and has tattoos hidden in some place good girls don’t, her skin color is a contrast compared to Jughead’s, added that and the strand of pink in her hair and the fact she is a _hell_ of a fuck... Jughead’s eyes linger on her body, pause on _where_ he was trapped a few hours ago and he wants to do it again. But that’s before Toni finally opens her own eyes and stares back, she nods no, stretching, her breasts following the movement and making her look even sexier and she finally speaks.

“I know that look Jones, so I’m gonna get out of here before we fuck again.”

“And it’s a bad thing because...?”

Jughead’s tone is playful and so is hers. They were friends before being lovers and sometimes, he has to remind himself that Toni was his first. He wasn’t hers, that he can tell for certain and things were different back then. The point back then was just to forget and to find a girl as far from Betty Cooper as possible. And, he thinks as Toni finally gets up and finds her clothes on the floor, she’s _no_ Betty Cooper that’s for sure.

“Because...” Toni has her underwear on now and she’s reaching for her denim skirt when she speaks next. “We both know this only happen when one of us is extremely bored. And last night it wasn’t me so by that logic....”

Jughead growls, he doesn't want to admit that Toni is right, last night was more out of habit than actual want. Hanging with Toni is easy, sleeping with her is even _easier_ and it gets him back to a certain sense of familiarity, like coming home. Something Jughead has never known.

“... It’s not like _you_ were complaining.” Is Jughead’s only reply, smile on his face.

Toni is fully dressed now and she crosses her arms on his chest, daring him to say more.

“So what? You got good Jones, props to you on all of that... But I’m being serious, this routine is getting old.”

“Does that mean I have to find another fuck buddy?”

“Yes.”

“ _Ugh_... great... Well if I had known it was going to be our last time in bed.... I would have made it special.”

“Buying me a burger before doesn’t make it special Jones.”

“Says you. I’ve heard no complaints about that particular move before so... you’re wrong Topaz, dead wrong.”

They are both laughing by the end of his sentence, Jughead finally up and wearing a clean tank top he found somewhere in his closet. He just likes teasing Toni and loves the fact that she’s never going to take it the wrong way and just tease him back. She finally picks up her own leather jacket and has a soft smile, looking at the bed.

“But this was fun.”

Jughead can’t help but lean close and draws her even closer, he plants one kiss on her forehead, that’s all he’s allowed to do before Toni shoves him away, with a knowing look.

“I meant what I said Jones...”

“Oh so what that means no hugging? That’s just cold.”

“You hug with your dick and we both know it.”

“ _Oh_...” He gasps, pretending to be shocked, which only lasts a few seconds before he bursts in laughter. “But point taken I swear. I’m just trying to make the transition for yourself a bit easier... life without my dick and all of that.”

“Ha. ha.... I’ll think I’ll survive. Besides, as we both know, dicks are not the only thing I’m into so...” Toni makes a suggestive movement with her eyebrows and he knows what she’s talking about, he never had any problem with her being bisexual or the fact that they are and will never be a couple.

Which would have been a weird concept back in the days, back in Riverdale. But Jughead is glad they’re not back in the small town, and that everyone has grown up and changed. Hell, he even lives with Veronica Lodge now. If that’s not change, he doesn’t know what is.

“Anyway, how do you like my new place... pretty cool hmm?”

“Yep. And it’s better than your old place that’s for sure, and closer to my work. You should have everyone over one day...”

“Yeah and have Sweet Pea calling me an hypocrite because I’ve made into the world?” Jughead is half kidding with this one and as he finally opens the door and they make their way into the living room. He wouldn’t trade his new group of friends for anything else in the world, they met on the road, where he was at his lowest. Fleeing his childhood home and past trauma and relationships and all of that. With barely any money to his name. Now he has a steady job as a writer, which means a steady income and a flat he shares with someone in the upper borough of Manhattan.

Speaking of said roommate, Jughead spots Veronica behind the kitchen counter, ignoring Toni’s reply about Sweet Pea and his morals. The Lodge looks impeccable as usual and despite the fact that it’s only 10 am in the morning. She’s sipping coffee from one of her expensive new mugs, flipping through the pages of a magazine. She looks up at their arrival and her gaze falls automatically on Toni.

Jughead wastes absolutely no time to introduce the two women to each other, finding it a little bit weird.

“... Hmm.. Toni this is my roommate and high school friend? _Acquaintance_ ? Let’s go with acquaintance, Veronica Lodge. Veronica, meet Toni Topaz... my personal hell raiser I guess?”

Toni elbows him hard in the stomach for that and Jughead would be hurt if he didn’t find himself extremely clever right now. So he ignores the blow and watches as Veronica puts on her best smile and shake Toni’s hand.

“Nice to meet you... I guess we’ll be seeing each other a lot right?”

“Yes. Someone has to make sure this giant idiot stays out of trouble.”

Jughead registers a second later he _is_ the giant idiot, he’s too busy watching Veronica chuckle at the word, and noticing Toni eyeing her up and down, probably making mental notes. The contrast between the two women is striking for Jughead, here’s Veronica in her designer black dress,  lipstick already on, _poised_ and _elegant_ , and on the other side, Toni, with her Metallica shirt, denim skirt, ripped stocking, _dangerous_ and _wild_. A match made in heaven? Maybe not.

“Well I’ll make sure he takes his vitamins Toni, I promise.” The Lodge flashes her a grin and Toni, instead of answering, turns back to Jughead.

“I like her. Which means don’t fuck this up, Jones.” Then back to Veronica. “We all hang out at a little bar downtown, you should come one day, to see him in action. And tell us how he was in high school, he’s being all mysterious about that... for some reason.”

“Oh so you want me to spill? That’ll cost you Toni, but why not? It could be fun.”

 _What the hell is even happening_ , Jughead has absolutely no idea but he’s okay with it.

Toni finally leaves a few moments after, right after patting Jughead on the shoulder and having one last glance for Veronica. He sighs when the door shuts behind her and heads for the kitchen, where Veronica is back to her mug and her magazine.

“Any coffee left ?” He asks.

“Sure... help yourself.”

He does, spins around with a cup full and leans against the counter, only to find himself staring at Veronica. That’s only now that he notices that despite the lack of heels, she’s standing on her tiptoes. That’s _cute_. She seems so engrossed in what she is reading, like Toni’s departure was nothing... But Veronica stuck to her words, she was polite and charming as well. That’s something you notice easily about Veronica Lodge, Jughead thinks, she has a way with people and she’s really good at first impressions. Hell, that’s why Archie fell so hard for her, right?

“So any plan for today?” Jughead asks the question more to distract himself than anything else. He has no idea what to do with his Saturday. He should, logically, write. That’s what he’s been paid for. He writes for a dumb little show that airs on a stupid channel, his sardonic humor and his twisted way to see things has evolved into something concrete and it’s appreciated. He only has to go to an actual office once a week and it’s more than enough for him. Jughead also tries to finish his novel about Jason Blossom, but that’s somehow _harder_.

“There’s an exhibition I’ve been dying to see at the MET. And yes before you ask, it’s a fashion exhibition... but yeah, that’s where I’ll be today. How about you?”

Veronica Lodge at the MET, Jughead doesn’t know if it’s a cliché or not, because he doesn’t know her _that_ well. He’s learning at the very least, so he just nods, takes a sip of his coffee and shrug at the question turned back to him.

“I’ll probably hang around here.”

“Yeah... trying to recover from last night are we?” And there is _something_ , the playfulness of her tone, or the not so innocent way she battles her eyelashes as she brings the mugs to her lips while looking at him... all of that suggests that she heard his last night antics with Toni. Or so he thinks. Because the look is gone in a flash, and she looks like... _Veronica_ again. He stands up, he knows he has nothing to be ashamed about, Toni was pretty vocal last night so, if Veronica heard them, that’s on her right?

“Yes, and also I’m behind my work, I should probably get on that.” Jughead doesn’t sound excited saying that at all, because he’s not. He does love his job, he does love writing but sometimes it is an ungrateful job. And he doesn’t always have the inspiration unfortunately.

“You don’t sound to convinced.” points out Veronica. The brunette finally finishes her coffee and she leans into the sink to wash it. She then glances up to Jughead, who’s still standing against the kitchen counter right next to her. “What is it that you do again?”

“I just write you know... for this show. But yeah my main thing is writing.”

“Jughead Jones... a writer? Why am I not surprised? At least some things have _not_ changed right.”

“I guess so...” Jughead shrug, doesn’t see the connexion to their high school past.

“So new idea... Come with me to the MET, maybe you’ll find some inspiration.”

Veronica’s offer seems tempting. Way too tempting and it does give him the perfect excuse not to sit around in their flat, eating snacks and staring at a blank page trying to come up with something decent. For his work, or his novel. Jughead finishes his own coffee cup and shrugs.

“I don’t know... I mean I don’t want to intrude on your day with your friends and everything...”

Veronica chuckles lightly, soft smile on her features. “Sorry to disappoint you Jughead, it’s just going to be me, my guide and my glasses.”

“Really...? I thought Veronica Lodge was one of the cool kids, with very cool friends and always something _in_ to do.” Jughead is being sarcastic just for the sake of being sarcastic, he doesn’t mean to be hurtful but he is surprised by the confession. The Veronica Lodge he remembers was never flying solo. She was always in a booth at Pop’s with them, or with Cheryl and her army of Vixens or even with Josie and her band. But never alone. This is new, that’s for sure.

“Nope, like I say it’s just going to be me, so are you interested or not?”

Jughead wants to ask more questions, but something on Veronica’s face or just the smile or the fact that she is inviting him to something that she’s been waiting for and was supposed to be just for her... Something stops him and he makes up his mind quickly.

“Yeah sure... let me grab my stuff...”

And that’s how they end up at the MET museum on a Saturday afternoon. Jughead with his leather jacket, his dirty boots and his camera around his neck; and Veronica with the mentioned glasses on her nose, her museum guide and her designer bag. Jughead doesn’t really care about the exposition and, something he doesn’t want to admit out loud, it’s actually his first time inside the MET. He chooses to follow Veronica’s footsteps inside the halls and he finds himself taking pictures of the art but mainly taking pictures of _Veronica_. Who looks absolutely fascinated and enchanted by everything they are seeing. She reads absolutely every note, makes some notes into her own guide and leans against Jughead to whisper a few facts. He takes picture of her reading, cleaning her glasses and frowning up at him, asking him what he is doing.

“You told me to look for inspiration so that’s what I’m doing Lodge.”

“Oh so you’re taking my advice? _Good_.”

Veronica takes him in front of her favorite paintings and he takes some more shots, he really doesn’t know why and how he is going to use the pictures of the Lodge but it does feel good, and he doesn’t think about his writing at all.

After the museum, they share a burger in a restaurant nearby. Jughead does admit that the exhibition was interesting and it’s enough for Veronica to smile.

They eat in comfortable silence and Jughead is more than okay with that. It’s the same when they make their way back home in the cab that they share. They part ways in the living room as Veronica informs him that she needs to get ready for her long week.

“But this was fun. Thank you Jughead.”

With one last wink in his direction, she disappears into her room.

And they don’t see each other for another full week. Just brief glances and waves to each other as they each come and go into the flat. Which Jughead doesn’t mind, as long as they respect each other space, all is fine for him. He writes most night until 5 am or 6 AM because for some reason that’s when the inspiration strikes the most. He usually hears Veronica’s alarm and he heads for the bathroom when she heads out for her morning jog. How does she has this much energy? He doesn’t know, what he does know is that the brunette running outfit is entirely black and that makes him smile slightly.

Jughead is usually the one who turns on the coffee machine, he makes enough for the both of them, he sips his cup on the couch and ironically that’s where he falls asleep a couple of times, only to wake up with a blanket on him and breakfast on the coffee table. Nothing too fancy, just a pastry and some fruits. Monday it’s an orange, Tuesday an apple and by Wednesday he thinks that it’s somehow cute that Veronica tries to make him have a healthy diet. She wasn’t kidding when she told Toni that she was going to make sure he takes his vitamins.

In return, Jughead makes sure to leave the commun areas extra clean and he is out most of the evening. He’s not avoiding Veronica but somehow, he can guess that after a long day of work, she just wants to relax in front of the couch, with some food and watch something random on TV.

Besides, he catches up with his own gang. Toni spreads the rumor about him and some upper east side _hottie_ living together pretty fast and while he buys a round of beer to Sweet Pea and Fangs, he quickly explains that _no_ nothing is happening and _yes_ , it’s possible for him to have a friend who’s a girl and _not_ try to climb on her, as Sweet Pea so elegantly puts it.

“Well if you say so, but knowing you, something will happen between you and ... what’s her name? _Veronica_.” Sweet Pea seems so certain of himself and Jughead can’t help but roll his eyes.

“No way, she used to date one of my best friends... it would just be weird.” He points out, besides, he doesn't think of Veronica like _that_ . He has never thought of the Lodge like _that_ , and now that they’re living together, she’s off limits. Sure, she’s pretty and she’s hot, any idiot in a mile radius could see that, she’s intelligent and has ambition. But the brunette is also slightly _bossy_ and _extremely_ driven and... anyway, thinks Jughead, no way that’s going to happen.

Which doesn’t stop him from climbing on other girls. Except he doesn’t bring them to the flat, which is stupid, if Veronica had heard him and Toni, she would have said so. Jughead decides that it’s easier this way and he avoids another round of questions.

So he flirts with this cute waitress the evening the gang and him are out for burgers, Toni can’t help but roll his eyes at him and even kick his foot beneath the table. That doesn’t stop him from taking her number. Or meet her later that night in the same restaurant. Or kiss her deep enough to have her blush and whisper that the manager he’s still here. She doesn’t stop him though and Jughead keeps kissing her and next thing he knows, they are fucking in the supply closet. She has her legs wrapped around his waist, and they’re still fully clothed, she tries to hold back her moans and he makes sure to rock his hips just right so she’ll have no choice but to be loud.

He also hooks up with the hot barista at his favorite coffee place. She finally agrees to go see a movie with him, except that they don’t exactly watch the movie and she ends up on his lap, riding him. And no, Jughead doesn’t finish his popcorn that night but he goes home with a happy smile.

Cause that’s what he does, fucking without any commitment, one girl one day and another the next, because he figured out a while back it’s much easier this way. If no one makes any promises, it’s impossible to break them right? Jughead doesn’t consider himself like a well-adjusted guy, he knows he is not, and like he said to Toni once, he is not ready to impose that to anyone until he’s ready to face his inner demons.

And it’s Friday again when he has a proper conversation with Veronica. He has spent most of his Friday half asleep on his bed, listening to some randoms songs and scribbling away in his favorite notebook. He’s heard the Lodge coming home and the sound of the TV but he made no effort to indicate that he was home.

Jughead is seriously considering having his Friday evening here, all nested up in his room, a first for him. But that’s before Toni’s text interrupts the flow of his music and writing.

> **hey jughead. u swinging by later? and also: u bringing your hot roomie?**
> 
>  

It’s enough for Jughead to laugh and sits up on his bed as he types a reply.

 

> **Maybe I will. Maybe I won’t. Life is full of mystery T. And what is it with everyone and Veronica?**  

Toni’s reply is just as quick as he is.

> **One: she’s smoking hot. Two: she should meet the gang. She’s part of your life and we want to meet her and you know have a good time... it’s called having manners. Nothing you or your dick have heard about.**
> 
>  
> 
> **I was raised by wolves. But fine. I’ll swing by. And I’ll ask her if she wants to... hang out.**
> 
>  
> 
> **Good. If she says yes, Sweet Pea will be happy.**
> 
>  
> 
> **... what? Are you trying to set them up?**
> 
>  
> 
> **No. Maybe. I do want to hang out with her but the guy needs a break, he’s not like you Jughead. He pretends he is okay with only being considered a side piece but we both know it’s bull. If he happens to meet a nice girl and it works, who am I to stop that?**

 

Jughead has to stop for a few seconds and think about his next answer. Sweet Pea is one of his best friends, he would take a bullet for the guy and defend him no matter what. In some ways, they are wired the same and have the same crappy and tragic upcoming. And Sweet Pea has mentioned, a bit drunk, that he’s tired of the whole only being a one night stand. But Sweet Pea and Veronica, that seems crazy right?

....

Well not more than him and Veronica living together.

> **point taken. i’ll ask her. See you later T.**  

He hits send and finally make his way to the living room. Where he finds Veronica in a nest of her own, curled up on the couch with her blanket, her mug and... 

“Are you watching Mindhunter?” Jughead asks, unable to hide his surprise and immediately recognizing the scene on screen.

Veronica hits pause and she turns to him. She’s wearing an oversize white shirt and her glasses one more.

“Yes... I am Jones, I love the show and I need to catch up.”

“It’s a good show.”

“It is....”

Veronica’s voice is dragging there, clear sign that she wants to be left alone. He studies her face, she’s not wearing any makeup, she has the beginning of dark circles under her eyes and even her hair is not as controlled as usual. He should probably leave her alone to her show and her quiet Friday night. But he told Toni he would ask so.... So Jughead takes a deep breath and decides to be direct.

“I know you probably have your own plans but ... Toni was wondering if you wanted to hang out with us... you know, tonight, go out... cause it’s Friday and all of that.”

“ _Oh_.”

Veronica bites her lower lip, like it hadn't even occurred to go out because it is indeed Friday, her eyes go back to the screen and then to Jughead.

“I was probably going to stay home, on my...”

“On your own _yeah_.” Jughead finishes for her. He has noticed that it was more than flying solo for just one Saturday at the MET, Veronica seems to be by her own a lot, and yes he did notice that just after a few weeks of living with her. And he can’t refrain the questions, he sits down on the couch next to her and staring at her, he finally decides to rip that bandaid.

“Can I ask _why_ ? I mean ... you don’t have to answer. But... it’s the city, _this_ city, no one is really alone, and I do know for a fact that you’re good company and that people seem to enjoy ... _all of this_.” He mentions for Veronica’s face with his hands and she does chuckle, still listening to him. “So yeah... as someone who has been a lone wolf most of his life, I know there is a reason. I just... I just want to know what is is.”

“Jughead I...”

He knows he’s asking a lot, this is more than roommate territory, and they’re not even friends. Or maybe they are. They are living together, she did share one of her passions, she makes sure that he has some food in the morning and he gets out of her hair when she needs it. Maybe yes, they are _becoming_ friends.

Veronica seems to be pondering the same thing, she takes a deep breath and takes off her glasses.

“Not that it is any of your business Jones, I have a plan, and I want to stick to it. It’s easier for everyone, including myself like that. That way there’s no misstep that way...”

“No one get hurts?” Again, he finishes that sentence for her, reading her mind and Veronica seems stunned for a few seconds and then nods.

“I don’t want... I don’t want a repeat of the past. There I said it. I changed. I want to be judged based on what I am doing now, not what I’ve done or what my parents did or my last name.” Jughead can’t help but feel some sense of empathy to her hearing that confession. Because, even if he doesn’t know all the details of the Lodge family drama, he heard those words, those exact words, coming out of his mouth. As he was telling them to Archie, that day he moved out of Riverdale.

“So what now? You’re punishing yourself. Not on my watch Lodge. I know for a fact that’s no way to live.” With that Jughead stands up and extend one hand to Veronica. “For better or worst we live together now so trust me when I say I get where you are coming from and self pity and all of that doesn’t help. Now you’re gonna go to your room, do what you do best and get all dressed up. Because Toni and the rest of my friends want to see you and get to know you. And even date you if you’re interested.”

“Jughead I...”

“Oh and I’m not taking no for an answer Veronica. We can handle you. Don’t worry.”

And apparently, it’s all the push the brunette needs because she finally takes his hand and does as she’s been told. As she heads for her room, Jughead decides to hit the shower, for a quick one, before finding some clean clothes. His wardrobe is very limited to be fair and he opts for his usual combo of dark skinny jeans, red flannel shirt around his hips, and a white shirt with long sleeves and of course, his leather jacket and his infamous Doc Martens’.

Of course, he’s the first one ready and he has to wait another 20 minutes, mainly spent on his phone texting Toni, before the brunette makes it to the living room.

“So... I guess I’m ready for you and your friends.”

Jughead looks up and he can’t help the grin that crosses his face as he faces Veronica.

She is wearing black, of course she _is_ , apparently it’s her signature color, the dress is not that revealing all and all, the colar is up on her neck but it’s made of lace, and so are the sleeves and up until her chest where the fabric changes and is just plain black. It’s short though and revealing her very long legs, accentuated by the fact that she is wearing heels once again. They appear to be longer than usual and Jughead pretends not to notice the way the dress is following her natural curves, or that her dark raven hair are curled now and that the purple lipstick is matching the color of her shoes.

They might be able to handle Veronica, but Sweet Pea is sure as hell _not_ ready for her.

They take a cab and Veronica asks some questions about the people they are about to meet, questions that Jughead is more than happy to answer.

“So you already know Toni, we’re actually meeting where she works. But her boss is pretty cool so we can have a few drinks and act like we own the place. There’s also Fangs, who looks like your typical troublemaker but don’t get fooled, this kid is going places. And there’s Sweet Pea which is pretty easy to spot considering how freakishly tall he is, he has a loud mouth and a lot of opinions but don’t get fooled, he’s a big softie.”

“And you’re trying to set me up with him right?”

“Nah. Toni is. But in all seriousness, he can take a hint, if you’re not interested, just say so.”

“Sure.”

Veronica remains silent for the rest of the trip, staring at the window, if he didn’t know any better, he would say she is nervous. Which is totally understandable so Jughead decides to take the lead, which he rarely does so, and he makes some dumb jokes about various things to break this new silence. Veronica does laugh, even if she pretends not to and when they reach the bar, she appears more relaxed.

“Welcome to the Southside.” He announces as they step out of the cab.

“Somehow... I feel overdress;” comments Veronica. “Which is a good thing, let’s do this Jones.”

It’s his turn to laugh before pushing the door for her. And Jughead loves it in here, nevermind the fact that it’s a bit of a hipster bar, or that the pool table is missing some balls or the jukebox is not playing certain songs. The music is pretty decent, his friends are here and there’s food.... which is pretty much the definition of heaven for Jughead Jones.

“Hey you guys made it!” They are automatically greeted by Toni, who’s holding two beers in her hands. She abandons them as if her job was absolutely nothing and pulls Jughead into an embrace. He hugs her back, having actually missed her in the short span of one day and a half. He wants to laugh as she treats Veronica the same way, the expressions on Veronica’s face are priceless, she goes from surprised, to embarrassed to actually grateful for the hug. And all it takes is Toni telling her her shoes are amazing and that needs to dish about Jughead’s past and they are off. Toni is the one introducing her to Sweet Pea and Fangs in the end. Fangs looks slightly impressed and Sweet Pea does that thing where he pretends not to look when he’s actually looking.

There, Jughead thinks, it took her two seconds to dazzle everyone.

And it appears to be true, they find an empty table, Toni takes her break early and they end up sharing drinks and stories. Sweet Pea and Veronica are sitting on one side of the table, Jughead and Toni on the other and Fangs on one chair.

“So spill Veronica, how was Jones in high school?”

“Well...” Veronica seems to be more than aware that she is the center of attention. And Jughead can tell she enjoys it because she takes a dramatic sip at her drink (and who even knew she liked rum) before finding the words. “Is it a surprise to anyone that we didn’t see eye to eye on most thing? I think he actually hated me for a couple of weeks.”

“I did not hate you. I hated what you _represented_.”

“Which is...?” asks Sweet Pea, apparently curious.

“A trust fund baby. But I got over it, I’m more of a working girl now. Anyway, Jughead was the perfect angsty teenager cliché, so much to the point that he would only talk to a select handful of people and he was certainly not getting out on Friday night. Or going from one girl to the next like that.”

“Aw... you still had principles and a conscience back then.” Toni mocks Jughead, even pinches one of his cheeks, just because.

“So there was a period of your life when you weren’t a massive slut? Good to hear.” adds Fangs.

And they seem to have fun ... well making fun of Jughead so he says nothing and decide to take the hit. It’s all worth it when he sees Veronica smile this brightly and Sweet Pea even leaning to her side to whisper something into her ear. Veronica asks her own questions as well, about how they meet and Jughead listen to his friends tell the tales on how they met Jughead and decided to all move the city together. On how Jughead was lost on the road and stumbled in the garage where Sweet Pea was working with his crappy bike. On how Fangs hooked him up with a fake ID back in the same garage and how they all fell hard for Toni when she was still working in a strip club... It’s all good fun and the trip down to memory lane is more than appreciated.

“Next round is on me.” declares Veronica an hour later and Jughead, who needs to stretch his legs and order his own drink decides to follow her to the bar.

“I’m gonna need another rum and soda and four beers please.”

“Make one of the beer non-alcoholic.” corrects Jughead and Veronica looks up to him frowning.

“... You’ve been drinking non-alcoholic beers along?”

“Yep, I’m completely sober, don’t need _that_ to have fun.”

Jughead tries to keep his tone light and breezy but he can tell she’s not buying it. He knows he owes her a confession, after all she has been completely honest with him and she even followed him tonight, trusting him. But Jughead doesn’t know where to start, he knows she’s aware of the whole situation with his dad, so he made a promise to himself not to go down that path and rather than tempt faith, he steers clears of alcohol. Just in case. If Veronica is about to say something, she doesn’t, it’s probably not the right time, nor the place, instead she just pulls Jughead into a hug. It’s a quick one but the embrace is comforting, maybe it has to do with the way she is stroking his back but it is more than appreciated.

When she releases him, their drinks are ready and as Veronica is paying, Jughead speaks again.

“So, you’re having fun.”

“... I actually _am_. I kinda forgot what it was like to hang out with people who don’t expect anything from you. Plus, you were right, they’re good company.” As she says that, Jughead glances at their table. Somehow, Toni is sitting on Fangs’ lap right now and they’re both giggling and listening to Sweet Pea talk. It’s usually the part of the evening where he complains about his job and the customers he gets at his new garage.

“Told you. What about Sweet Pea... a nice guy right?”

Veronica follows his gaze and, taking some drinks into her hands, she smiles. But not her usual light and genuine expression, it’s something different, a bit more devious.

“Yeah he’s nice... Could be my type but... let’s see if he can keep up, hmm?”

And that’s all she gives him before heading back to their table. Jughead’s eyes follow her every move, from the bounce of her hair, to the sway of her hips or the way she slips back too easily next to Sweet Pea, handing him his drink, asking probably, what she missed. And he doesn’t know what but there’s a tug in his stomach as Sweet Pea, for some reason unknown wraps one arm around her.

The same tug he gets whenever he spots a pretty girl anywhere and that he just wants to...

Oh shit, Jughead thinks, do I want to sleep with Veronica Lodge?

Apparently yes, _yes_ he does.


	3. Veronica

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Jeronica update this June... !!!  
> Thank you so much for the positive feedback on the previous chapters, so glad a lot of people are liking the story.  
> Enjoy the new chapter.

In the end, Veronica is glad Jughead convinced her to get out.  _ Yes _ , she’s a little bit tipsy when they make their way back to their place. She mumbles a good night to Jughead before collapsing on her bed and kicking off her heels very ungracefully. 

But it was a  _ good _ night indeed, it was nice to meet people outside of her regular circle, that knew nothing about her before New York or even who she is trying to be right now. Even speaking to Jughead about  _ everything _ she was holding back was cathartic in a way. 

Sure, Jughead doesn’t know the whole story about her parents, only Betty knows how bad it got in the end. Only the blond, her best friend, had been standing with her when she had decided to go against her parents and cut them out completely and move on with her life. Only Betty knew how Hiriam had threatened her and how it had meant completely severing her ties with them, saying goodbye to her parents, her family, her trust fund. Just so she could walk freely and just be Veronica. 

And it felt good to be  _ just _ Veronica. It got lonely at times. 

And maybe Jughead is right, maybe she has been punishing herself a little bit, like the good Catholic girl that she is deep down. But not tonight, tonight had just been about her. 

Toni is nice and surprisingly down to earth and relaxed; they already planned to go shopping the very next day. Fangs is funny in the same way Jughead is and apparently the voice of reason of the group. 

And then... there’s Sweet Pea. Sweet Pea and his reassuring smile, Sweet Pea who is indeed  _ freakishly _ tall, clearly has a passion for fixing old cars and bike and who has already suggested a sort of a date, with a dinner and a movie. 

And Veronica being Veronica, she told him that she would think about it. Which is already more than most men got from her these past few months. But no, she doesn’t have time for boys and flings. She has a plan. 

Except that it is nice to feel wanted and have someone look at her like  _ that _ . She had almost forgotten how it felt. And it seems that it’s not just the physical aspect of it that Veronica did miss. 

Anonymous sex is easy and if she really wanted that, she could just take a page out of Jughead’s playbook. Which is apparently something he does a lot and his friends are okay with it, there were some jokes and that’s it. She cannot judge him either, if Jughead Jones doesn’t want to be tied down, that is his right, if he just wants to have sex and that’s it, she knows plenty of women who are into that. 

Except that Veronica is not wired like that at all. At least right now. Maybe if they had cross paths a year ago,  _ maybe _ ... But that’s a big maybe and with all of those thoughts in mind, a very tired, somewhat confused but contempt Veronica falls asleep that evening. 

She wakes up fully dressed the next morning which she almost regrets when she sees the wrinkles on her dress, her frown disappear quickly when she grabs her phone on the nightstand and she sees the myriad of texts she already received from Toni. 

 

> **Rise and shine princess! We have a date. — Toni, 9:34 am**
> 
>  
> 
> **Ok maybe I never went to sleep but the night is young. No JK I went to sleep, I’m just not a big fan of staying in bed on Sundays. — Toni, 9:45 am.**
> 
>  
> 
> **Or maybe I’m still a little bit drunk. But things got even crazier when you and Jughead left. We had to get Sweet Pea home and wasted because he wouldn’t shut up about you... maybe I said too much. — Toni, 10:01 am.**
> 
>  
> 
> **Anyway, I’m home, I’m gonna get ready and I’m picking you up in an hour, you better be ready Lodge! — Toni, 10:30 am.**
> 
>  

The last text is followed by a selfie of Toni herself, a towel wrapped around her and about to step inside her shower and Veronica can’t help but laugh loudly and brightly seeing that picture. She finally types a quick reply:  **Miss Topaz you are crazy and need I remind you that it’s Sunday? I won’t have that much energy myself. But sure I’ll be ready** ! Before making her way to her own bathroom. 

 

Veronica takes a long and hot shower, followed by a quick prepping session in front of her mirror in her room. When she finally steps out in the living room, she decides that she is ready.

It’s going to be a sunny Sunday and she chooses a long blue pencil skirt with a floral motif topped up with a white tank top. She enters the living room heels in one hand and designer bag in the other. Only to spot Jughead in the kitchen, he’s obviously in his own pajamas, which are made up of a washed up Led Zeppelin shirt -she can see the bleach stains from where she is standing-  and cotton pants. He’s pouring milk into a cereal bowl, his blue eyes focused on the milk, and Veronica decides that no, judging by his expression, Jughead is definitely not awake. But she never pictured him as a morning person. 

“Well, Jughead out of his bedroom before 12 on a Sunday... I guess miracles  _ do _ happen.” Veronica can not help but tease him, a smile on her face as she finally puts on her shoes. 

Jughead slowly looks up and make eye contact, he offers a small smile and finds a spoon for his breakfast before he answers. “I was hungry, trust me, for that, I can wake up early.” And to confirm what he just said, he proceeds to start munching on his cereals while making his way to the couch. He lands on it very loudly and Veronica can’t help but chuckle a little bit. She heads for the kitchen herself, finally turning on the coffee machine. She definitely can’t leave the apartment without a decent amount of caffeine in her bloodstream. 

“And why are you up this early and ready for the day?” finally asks Jughead moment later as Veronica sits down next to him on the couch, coffee in hand. She wants to point out how cute he looks, with his bowl in one hand and watching what appears to be Spongebob Squarepants on TV and frowning down at her. This is a new side of Jughead, this is the most vulnerable and the most comfortable she’s ever seen him, his guard is obviously and completely down and if he asks about Veronica’s day it’s because he cares. 

So they  _ are _ actually friends, Veronica thinks to herself, her smile growing bigger at the thought. 

“Toni and I are hanging out today. We’re going shopping if you must know Jones.”

“Oh... you and Toni? It seems like  _ someone _ is learning how to make new friends.” 

He sounds a little bit too confident while he says that, and she can hear the  _ I told you _ so in his voice, which is why Veronica decides to pinch his arm, resulting in Jughead laughing. 

“No need to get physical Veronica... I was right and you have plans that don’t involve staying cooped up in here or your job.” 

“... Maybe you did have a point. And maybe I needed something else.”

“Hmm...  _ hmm _ ” Mumbles knowingly Jughead, his mouth full once again. She rolls her eyes because really he reminds her of a child when he is in the presence of food. 

“Actually I have a question for you... is Toni always this...” Veronica pauses to find the right word. “ _ Intense _ ?” 

It’s Jughead's turn to laugh again and he just shrugs. “Yep. That’s Toni Topaz for you... in all seriousness, she doesn’t have many female friends, she usually hangs out with dudes, I guess that’s why she got so excited... but she is nice and loyal to the bone. I’m not kidding when I say that when you’re Toni’s friends, she will take a bullet for you.” He nods at the words and Veronica keeps the information at the back of her mind. She could definitely use someone like Toni in her corner, she doesn’t have the luxury to turn down people who want to hang out with her. Especially people who have  _ never _ heard of Veronica Lodge. 

“But aren’t you guys a little bit more than friends...?” Veronica hears herself ask the question before she can’t help it. It is, however, true, Toni is the girl she heard moaning so loudly during her first weekend in the flat. It was  _ Toni _ who was so clearly praising Jughead’s performance and having a good time. And from Veronica’s experience, sleeping with your friends never end up well, most people are incapable of casual and there is always something that seems to screw it up. 

_ Always _ .

Jughead, however, seems to be very relaxed about it and he just offers another shrug as a response. “Yeah... we bone. Well, we used to, she’s still just my friend. Do I care about her? Yes. Do I love her? In a way, yes, of course, I do. That doesn’t mean I’m going to drop on one knee, ask her to be my wife and ride in the sunset with her... We’re both adults, we hooked up, but we both know it was just that... a hookup. You  _ know _ ?” 

She wishes she could say yes, Jughead’s whole view on the situation is more mature than she expected it to be. Again, Jughead Jones is full of surprises and he seemed to be far away from the teenager in love with Betty Cooper and sharing a milkshake with the blond in their booth at Pop’s. 

“I guess so... If you guys are happy, it’s all that matters.”

“Yep. And speaking of, I heard poor Sweet Pea asking you out... are you going to say yes or break his heart? If so, please let him down easy, okay?” 

Veronica frowns and she wants to ask him if that’s  _ her _ reputation. Breakers of hearts. After all, she was the one ending things with Archie, once and for all. And with Reggie as well... and with every single thing, she did share with every man ever since. 

Sweet Pea is certainly something else, just like Jughead, which is refreshing and she knows deep down they are looking for two completely different things: he wants a girlfriend and settle down possibly. She wants to focus on her career and the most she can handle right now is maybe a date and a possible kiss on the cheek every three weeks...?

She is however saved by the bell, quite literally, when her phone rings and she sees Toni’s name on the screen. Veronica is glad and she tells Jughead that she shouldn't keep Toni waiting. And not answering his question at all. If Jughead noticed it, he doesn’t say anything, he just nods and wishes her a good day before drifting back to the screen in front of him. 

Veronica doesn’t really want to think about it and on her way down, she makes a mental note to just be honest and upfront with Sweet Pea, which would be the better and mature thing to do. 

She forgot all about boys and possible troubles at the side of Toni, who seems to have a perfect day planned for them. Toni is a pure ball of energy and positivity and she leads them effortlessly in the streets of Soho, in vintage shops and warehouse where amazing sales are taking place. Toni’s rules are apparently never to spend too much on clothing but still look ravishing, a rule both her and Veronica can agree on. They talk about their respective jobs, and Veronica can’t help but brag a little bit about her job at W and Toni seems to be impressed that she has the next 5 years of her life planned. 

“I just don’t work like that... I never expected to be in the city in the first place, I gotta thank Jughead for dragging me out here.” explains the other woman as she is paying for a new pair of pumps. Veronica senses a story and she asks more questions Toni just shrugs, looking like Jughead for a second, and explains how they all met on the road and them kind of following Jughead here because it seemed like the best thing to do. “That annoying boy can be pretty convincing when he wants to... and I mean, he’s more family to me than my own... which  _ don’t _ even get me started on.”

“Oh I have been here, I trust you.” 

“Daddy’s issues too?” 

“Oh,  _ big _ time. If I could afford it, I would go to therapy... but I’m going to try that dress instead.” 

While they try on more clothes, Toni reveals that working down at the bar is not her only job. She often gets some gigs to dance in video clips or at some fancy art show. Dancing seems to be the one thing that she is really proud of and Veronica asks if she has an agent or a representation of some sort. Toni laughs and admits her career is pretty random at the moment but she loves it, she just goes to an audition once in a while and sees what happens. 

Toni is a free spirit it appears, way more relaxed about life and prospects than Veronica herself and the brunette can’t help but feel a little bit jealous. She doesn’t have that,  _ that _ confidence and if she doesn’t make lists or plan out her day, her week or hell... her life, she feels like she’s just drifting. So, Veronica decides that she will definitely call Toni whenever she needs a break from her very organized and predictable life. 

They part ways hugging and when Veronica pushes the door of the flat, hands full, she finds the living room empty. She can see some light and hear music coming from Jughead’s room, meaning he’s probably back in his own nest. 

The Monday arrives soon enough, and it’s wearing her brand new Burberry jacket that Veronica sits at her desk that morning, finding the list that she left on Friday. It’s with a satisfied smile that the Lodge starts working again, knowing exactly what to do and what’s expected of her. Relaxed and drinking rum Veronica is for the weekend she decides, here she will be poised, elegant, knowledgeable, take notes during meetings and impress her boss.  

Her week at W is pretty uneventful for W’s standards. Sure, it’s full of office antics, from rumors spread at the coffee machine to heels breaking in the elevator and people making fun of each other outfits, but Veronica is prepared for that. She’s been speaking that language her entire life so nothing can really surprise her. 

The week at home is somehow  _ different _ ... Apparently, and because they are now friends,  Jughead no longer hides his conquests or the fact that he seems to always find girls to hook up with. Which again, Veronica understands, he has a  _ way _ about him, how he walks, stands and even dresses. Jughead grew up to be the perfect fantasy of the bad boy. Or she’s just assuming, she has no idea what he does or doesn’t say to these women. But it’s fun, for some reason to think about. 

When she gets home on Tuesday, Jughead is escorting a brunette out of their flat. The girl is about to introduce herself to Veronica when Jughead clearly nods no and offers a simple “it was nice seeing you.” Veronica wants to laugh, really laugh, as the door is slammed on the poor girl’s face and when she turns to Jughead, he’s already heading to his room. 

The next day, it’s a blond. Very predictable and Veronica finds it cute the way she strolls in the apartment wearing Jughead’s shirt and looking for the bathroom. “It’s this way.” informs the Lodge, already feeling sorry for the lost lamb. 

“Oh thank you... you must be the roommate.” 

“I am... And you are?” 

“Well I told him my name was Becky, but I really don’t think he cares.” The blond shrugs and heads for Jughead’s bathroom. Veronica heads to her own room, rolling her eyes once more. 

Later, Jughead himself knocks on her door, asking her if she wants to order some food because he is hungry. 

“I’m in the mood for sushi.” is Veronica only reply as she opens the door. She’s in her nightgown, glasses on and a book in one hand and Jughead offers her a small smile and winks before ordering said food. They share California rolls in front of the news and that’s when Veronica breaks the silence about his conquests. 

“I met the  _ loveliest _ girl today, she was looking for your bathroom.” She tries not to sound too sarcastic, she can’t help herself though. She wonders why, it’s not like she’s judging him or anything, it’s just that she doesn’t understand how he does it, and this easily apparently. Or maybe he has a reputation in their neighborhood already. Maybe the entire building he’s hearing how good he is, every day. 

“Hmm... yeah sorry about that. I got a call from work at that moment, so I couldn’t escort her myself... hey you gonna eat that?” 

“Nope, go ahead.” 

“So that’s just what you do... Jughead Jones doesn’t care about names or the morning after. You just want to have a good time.” 

This time Jughead pauses what he’s doing, abandoning his chopsticks on his plate, and turns his full body to Veronica, eyes on her, studying her face obviously. And someone more impressionable that Veronica might have blush, or frown because of the intensity of that look. She doesn’t however, and choose to look at him the same way. 

“And is that a bad thing, Veronica?” 

“... I never said it was... I’m just wondering why that’s all.” She shrugs, pretends it’s nothing and offers him more food from her own plate as a form of apology. Maybe Veronica went too far with this one. 

Jughead takes the food, of course, he does and he shrugs too, mimicking her expression a little bit too easily and answers again. “... I thought if anyone would get it it’s you. I guess anonymous sex is all I can afford right now. Maybe in a way, I’m not ready to let anyone see me as their boyfriend... I mean I haven’t been someone’s boyfriend since I was...” 

“... Betty’s?” Veronica finishes the sentence for him and Jughead shoots her a dark glance. There is a lot in that look, a lot she can identify but it’s clearly not a look of someone who has a good memory of the past. 

“Yes, ever since Betty. So I’m drifting, that doesn’t mean I’m miserable or anything, I guess when I’m ready for more, I’ll know.” 

Veronica’s mouth is suddenly very dry and she feels the urge to get closer to him, maybe hug him or hold his hand. Because she gets it, she totally gets it and she feels that in a way, she never completely healed from her break up with Archie. Yes, she was the one pushing the brakes on their entire relationship, but she can say with confidence that Archie Andrews is the only man who ever saw her completely. And what do you do after that? She truly is happy for Betty and Archie, but that doesn’t mean that she is ready to do it all over again. 

So she  _ gets _ it. 

The best she can do right now is placing one hand over Jughead’s shoulder and nod. Which has Jughead looking at her once more, except that this time, the look he gives her is much softer than the precedent. Some sort of understanding seems to pass between them, that  _ maybe _ they’re not so different after all. The moment is brief, but here nonetheless and it ends when Jughead throws her a wink. 

“Anyway, the only thing that I will add is... I hope you are being safe that’s all.” quickly mumbles Veronica, that has Jughead grimacing and laughing at the same time. 

“Thanks,  _ mum _ ... really, I can’t believe we are having this conversation over sushi.” 

“I know but I did promise, Toni, I would keep an eye on you... that includes  _ all _ of you.” 

“Speaking of Toni... what are  _ we _ doing this weekend?” And Veronica would be lying if she said she didn’t feel any lighter hearing that  _ we _ . 

They plan to all go out for a movie on Friday and when said Friday finally arrives, Veronica, decide to dress in her most casual outfit, which consists in some black pants she bought with Toni and a purple V neck and she pulls Sweet Pea aside while Jughead is buying the tickets. She decides to just rip the bandaid off and explain to him that she’s not looking for anything serious at the moment, she’s glad when Sweet Pea laughs, full on laugh and throws one arm over her shoulders and tells her that he completely understands. 

“But I can totally help you find the love of your life.” 

“Oh that’s a promise you’re gonna have to keep Veronica.” The brunette is reassured by his smile and everything seems to be all well and good, even though Veronica can’t quite identify the look she sees on Jughead’s face as Sweet Pea keeps his arm around her shoulders the entire time they buy their snacks. 

Overall it’s a good Friday night and Veronica spends the rest of the weekend in their flat, catching up on her reading and having a Skype session with Archie and Betty. She listens to their stories about campus, the next holiday they are planning and when they ask about her and Jughead living together, she gives them a simple “all is well”. She could go into details, tell them about his new gang, his job and his lack of love life but somehow, it feels private. She shouldn’t be the one telling them about this new version of Jughead, if he wanted Betty and Archie to know about his current whereabouts, they would know, that’s for sure. So Veronica keeps all of that for herself and goes back to work on Monday after crossing path with Jughead in the living room. Apparently, he’s been writing non stop all night and he doesn’t want to stop now that he has a good rhythm. Hence the coffee. 

“Good luck on your day Lodge.” He mumbles, closing the door to his room. At least he’s up, thinks Veronica, but she still drops his breakfast on the coffee table, hoping he will eat the pastries later. And catch up some sleep. 

Her mind drifts on Jughead only once more during that day, during the usual morning meeting and when she finds out she is invited to the next magazine party next Wednesday. Apparently, her latest efforts had been noticed, she just needs a plus one. Because she clearly can not show up to one of these parties alone, and Jughead seems like the perfect candidate. It’s giddy and bringing back his favorite pizza, meaning with a lot of cheese, that Veronica makes the journey back to their flat. 

She finds him sprawled on a couch, computer on his lap and absently staring at his computer screen and the TV. He’s not writing anymore so maybe the writing streak is over. 

“Hey... I am home, I have food and a big favor to ask you.” 

The pizza disappears quicker than Veronica expected, and moments later, when they’re both on the couch she can’t help but stare down at his stomach and ask herself where he is putting all of that. He is still really skinny and judging by the amount of junk food he engulfs every day, he should be fat. Like really  _ really _ fat. Life is not fair sometimes... 

“So...” He starts once the last slice is gone. “About this big favor, you wanted to ask me... “

“Well... my job is having one of those super elitist parties that you mostly see in movies. But usually, I just plan the party, this time I’ve been invited. And my boss’ boss is going to be here and I could really use a plus one.” 

“...  _ Hmm _ ...”  Jughead frowns, he seems to be considering it, which can only be good for Veronica. “How elitist are we talking about?” 

“... You might have to wear a suit.” And for sure, Veronica knows that last argument is going to be a deal breaker, he probably doesn’t even own a suit, it kinda doesn’t go with the rest of... well, his style. This "whole trashy jeans and plaid" vibe. Which suits him for sure, but would certainly not be okay in that particular setting. 

Jughead opens his mouth and Veronica can feel a no coming up and that’s why she interrupts him, putting all of her arguments on the line. “I would owe you. I don’t have many friends and I could really use someone in my corner. And plus there are going to be girls... tons of girls, most of them would be your type, since they are models and always traveling, a lot of them are into the whole anonymous sex thing, so ... it’s going to be like easy picking really.” Jughead has kept his eyes on her during her whole speech and she expected some sort of resistance, a hard no, but not his entire face to lit up and for him to smile. 

“Fine. I’ll rent a suit or whatever. And I’ll be here. And you owe me.”  

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” 

Veronica pulls him into a hug, a very unexpected and short one and she promises to take care of everything, his suit included and repeats that yes, she will definitely owe him. 

And that evening can come soon enough, Veronica can’t help but feel like a kid on Christmas morning as her boss hands her two invitations and she rushes home to prepare. She drops Jughead’s suit on his bed as he asked her to do and goes to her own room to get ready. Her prepping routine always starts by a long shower and then she spends quite some time on her makeup, she decides for something light as she applies her foundation, then her eyeliner and her glossy lipstick. For her hair, she decides for some curls and she pushes it to one side of her face to look even more elegant. Then she slips into her dress... And what a dress, it cost Veronica 6 months of saving money to be able to afford an Elie Saab black gown and as she stares at herself in the long dress, she knows she made the right choice. 

She slips her heels next and that’s when there’s a knock on her door. 

“I’m ready... we’re doing this or what?” 

“Oh Jughead Jones... ever the gentleman.” She replies as she finally opens the door. 

Only to see Jughead Jones himself wearing the Paul Smith suit she chose for him. And damn... he does look good, different but good. The suit is a right fit and not hanging loose like most of his clothing and he looks even taller than usual but in an elegant almost sort of regal sort of way. He even did something to his hair as the dark locks are not presently falling on his face but are pushed back, he decided against the bowtie apparently but Veronica can’t say she minds when she noticed the first buttons of his shirt popped opened and his Adam’s apple well visible. 

“....  _ Wow _ Veronica... You look amazing. Like...  _ wow _ .” 

And she was so busy taking in Jughead Jones wearing a suit that she didn’t notice that Jughead has been eying her up and down this whole time. She can’t help but stand a little bit straighter under this new gaze and she offers him a smile. 

“Oh do I? You don’t look so bad yourself Jones. Who knew you cleaned up so well.” 

“Oh I knew it... just wasn’t telling anyone...”Jughead shrugs, suddenly very himself with this sardonic expression on his face. “Shall we? I know it’s fashionable to be late all and all, but you have people to impress so...?” Jughead, apparently turned into a real prince this evening, offers his arms to Veronica who gladly accepts it. 

“We shall.” 

He even helps her put on her coat and opens doors for her. Veronica pretends not to notice all of that, maybe he’s just being a really good friend and choose to focus on her mission of the evening. In the cab, she shows Jughead pictures of her boss and the editor in chief of the magazine and all the people she hopes to dazzle tonight. It sounds cliché and very Devil Wears Prada, she admits it but sometimes a cliché is good. Jughead remains silent the entire time, whatever he is thinking about the whole situation, he keeps it to himself and plays his role of plus one perfectly. 

So perfectly that he opens the door of the cab for her once more when they arrive in the hotel hosting tonight’s party. Veronica is glad to give their invitations at the entrance and she is surprised when Jughead pulls her in front of the few cameras present for some photos. Yes, it’s that kind of event, she whispers, suddenly pressed against Jughead’s chest for a picture. 

Again, Jughead just nods and holds her hands as they head inside. Inside is even more decadent than the entrance and Veronica’s smile doesn’t seem to dial down as she receives some compliments about her dress. And of course, people ask about the mystery man. Jughead introduces himself as a good friend, and they exchange a look like they’re in on the private joke. Maybe they are, Veronica doesn’t know. She spots her boss and leaves Jughead’s side for a few moments to chat and introduce herself to more people. The conversations start again and Veronica being Veronica, she exposes her ideas loud and clear, ready to impress. 

“ _ Where _ have you been hiding her? Miss Lodge, maybe you should swing by my office tomorrow morning.” And really, it’s the best words she could hear all night. Veronica rewards herself with one glass of champagne and she looks for Jughead, to share the news. He is really easy to spot, he is taller than everyone after all, and of course, he is engrossed in a conversation with one of the afformed mentioned models. The girl is gorgeous, of course, she is, she’s wearing a short sleeveless blue Michael Kors dress with heels way higher than Veronica’s. She laughs at something Jughead says and Veronica decides to leave them alone when the model brushes his jacket. 

At least, they both get what they wanted tonight, Veronica is happy for sure, and she decides to ignore the way her fingers tighten around her glass. 

She figures she should keep networking and leave Jughead alone, but that’s before he spots Veronica across the room. He abandons the other girl right in her spot, crossing the room with his massive legs to make his way towards Veronica. 

“Hey, I was looking for you. How is it going?”

“Well... I don’t want to brag but my promotion might come sooner than expected.” 

“Oh cause that’s  _ not _ bragging? Congratulations though, you deserve it. “ Jughead gives her one of his reassuring smiles, and 

“And congratulations to you to... I’d say you work fast, but the deal is not sealed... go, don’t worry about me.” She ends her sentence by finishing her glass of champagne in one long fluid movement. 

“Meh... she’s nice and everything.” Jughead glances at the girl for a few seconds and winces. “But I’m not here for that, come on Lodge, introduce me to some people. It is your world after that.”

Yes, it is, that’s what Veronica tell herself and it’s the only reason why she takes another glass of champagne from one of the passing waiters and does indeed introduce Jughead to some people. He explains his job which they find fascinating and he ends up with some business cards being handed to him as well. The evening is a success all and all and a few hours of conversations and more glasses of champagne for Veronica later, she is ready to head home. 

“You sure?” asks Jughead as she informs him that she might head home.

“I mean...” Veronica bites her lower lip. “You  _ can _ stay... the plan was not for you to go home tonight, so stay, come back home with whomever and have some fun. Just try to keep the noise to a minimum I still have to wake up early tomorrow morning.” 

Veronica stands up from the seat she was occupying, and wishes Jughead a good night and walks away before he can add anything. But of course he follows her and he’s the one placing her coat on her shoulders when it’s being handed back to her. 

“It’s okay Jones, you’ve done your part. Go have fun.” 

“... Lodge, maybe I’m exactly where I want to be. This was fun, let’s go home, okay?” 

_ Home _ , it does sound reassuring. And Veronica is sure it’s just the champagne getting to her head, drinking on an empty stomach was really a bad idea, so she remains silent on the drive back home, just resting her head on Jughead’s shoulder, because it’s better than the window and that’s it. 

He pays for the fair while she looks for her keys and when they both enter the elevator, Veronica’s back finds one of the walls and Jughead’s the opposite. He’s still staring at her, and she doesn’t know what  _ that _ look means, maybe he’s disappointed he couldn’t score tonight, or he really wants to get out of this suit. 

“You could have stayed.” She finally mumbles as the doors closed.

“I  _ could _ have.” 

“I’m sure that girl would have gone home with you .”  

“Maybe she  _ would _ .” 

He shrugs, and his answer is so flat like it’s obvious that this girl would have gone home with him. Because he’s Jughead  _ fucking _ Jones and he just needs to show up to have anyone want to spend the night with him. 

“... I still don’t know what you do or say to these girls so that they just... follow you and drop their clothes.” This time, Veronica has a reaction, he chuckles softly and his eyes travel from her face to her entire body. She’s suddenly way too aware that her coat is still opened, revealing the deep V neck of her dress, or that her dress compliments her frame in every way. 

“Who said I tell them anything special at all? Maybe I just say my name and ask them if they want to get laid.” 

“Oh  _ come on _ ...” Veronica goes from one extreme to another apparently because she feels irritated. Because she’s the fool in this story and he is clearly making fun of her, there’s no other way. “I know you have to be a little bit more flirty and ... I don’t know... say something the girl wants to hear.” 

“Nope. Veronica, it's really not that complicated, sometimes people just want to fuck and that’s it. It  _ doesn’t _ have to be this complicated.” 

“ _ But _ ...” She wants to reply and tell him that no one in the world function like that. No girl could or would say yes to that. Except that the elevator doors are opening once again and maybe she should just head to her room. That’s all she plans to do before Jughead moves. 

In one simple step, he reduces the space between them to almost nothing. Almost, he’s close, but they are  _ not _ touching, their clothes are brushing one another, she can see how blue his eyes actually are, the beauty spots on his face and she could touch him if she wanted. But Veronica doesn’t dare to move, not when he’s looking down at her like  _ that _ . 

“Hi. I’m Jughead Jones. I have nothing to do for the next few hours... Do you want to have sex with me?” 

And Veronica knows it doesn’t work. Nothing works like that. Not in this life, not in her life. 

Except maybe the genuine honesty of the question, the look on his face or the fact that he looks hot as hell in this suit. 

So she whispers  _ yes _ , because there is a lot of emotions flowing through her right now, mostly curiosity and desire and she pulls him by the vest and kisses him. 

And they are still kissing, hungrily, like nothing else matter, his hands already on her hips and pressing their bodies together, when the elevator doors close once more. 

To be fair, and it’s probably Veronica’s last coherent thought as Jughead lifts her from the ground,  _ not _ having sex with your roommate is  **not** on their agreement. 


	4. Jughead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here I am with an update !!!!  
> Sorry for the long wait, real-life and work got in the way but here we are.
> 
> Thank you so much for your feedback (kudos and lovely comments) on the last chapter, it made my days during the really long shifts at work. Anyway, a lot in store for this chapter ...
> 
> PS : here's the link to the story's gallery, where you can find the pictures of the flat, outfits, etc ... https://imgur.com/a/3q1zdt2 !

The moment Veronica whispers  _ yes _ , it’s the moment Jughead seems to be able to breathe. Saying he has been waiting for that specific word from the brunette would be an  _ understatement _ . Even though he tried for days and days to do the right thing, and find some other girls to distract him, his mind kept going back to  _ Veronica _ . 

And the fact that  _ maybe _ it wouldn’t be so bad if they did sleep together. They might both enjoy it and move on. And seeing her in  _ that _ dress tonight, there was no way in hell he wasn’t going to at least _ask_. Especially after seeing Veronica in her environment all night long, being her smart, confident and beautiful self. 

So that would explain why they are currently making out in the elevator leading to their flat. And Jughead doesn’t feel a little bit sorry or ashamed about the way he’s pressing the brunette against the nearest wall or carrying her without any finesse. The kiss in itself is everything he could ask for, hot and heavy, Veronica’s tongue finds his perfectly and he can’t help but moan and press their bodies together. He finds a place right between her legs and he thinks he wants to die right  _ there _ . 

Or to be frank he’s not thinking at all. 

Jughead feels dizzy, lightheaded and kinda drunk all at the same time. He’s kissing Veronica Lodge and it’s the best kiss he ever had in years, maybe because he can taste the champagne on her tongue, or because one of her hands is pulling his hair tightly while the other one is on his shoulder, or maybe it’s the way he can hear and feel Veronica moan right against him as he claims her tongue and her entire mouth. 

Breathing loudly, Jughead drifts from her lips to the curve of her neck. He plants rough kisses on the soft skin right there, drinking in Veronica’s perfume and making a mental note for later. Oh he’s definitely replaying the entire evening inside his head later, most definitely. 

His mouth doesn’t stop here and even despite Veronica trying to pull him up for a proper kiss. No, he doesn’t stop his exploration, he just can’t when there is so much to discover and to  _ touch _ ; and looking up into her brown eyes, he drops another kiss on her neck, and then lower, heading towards the V of her dress. Their embrace and their entire balance are not the best but it’s worth it, just to see the look on Veronica’s face. If Jughead is reading her right, she doesn’t want him to stop, she doesn‘t want him to stop  _ at all _ . 

There are no more words, not after that  _ yes _ , and Veronica explicitly giving in to all of this, only the  _ ding  _ of the elevator as the doors slide open once more. This time, they head out and as soon as Veronica’s feet hit the floor, she’s the one dragging him to their door. Opening it turns out to be quite difficult. Veronica is trying her best  _ really _ , but Jughead is too busy pushing the dark locks away from her neck and retracing any visible piece of skin with this tongue. He feels Veronica shiver against him and she let escape a “god damn it  _ Jughead _ .” as the door is finally opened. 

They make it inside their flat,  _ fucking _ finally, and Jughead kicks the door closed, eyes still on Veronica, heart beating fast and to be honest, a hell of a hard-on and one thought in mind: he’s going to have his release inside Veronica even if that’s the last thing he does this evening. And maybe the thought is a  _ bit _ crass, maybe, Veronica deserves better than that, but no one can blame him for thinking like that when Veronica finally turns back to him, just to let her own coat slip on the floor. 

And she’s about to say something, he can see  _ something _ passing inside her eyes, maybe it’s her common sense or maybe she’s about to point out that sleeping with your roommate? Worst idea ever. But Jughead doesn’t want logic or reason right now, he doesn’t want bossy and impeccable Veronica, no, that’s just the façade. He wants the Veronica who has a devious smile on her face, the one sipping rum or champagne like it’s water, too well aware of the fact that she has on her audience. The one who drinks tea in her pajama, hair not combed at all, legs stretched on the couch like she owns the entire room.  _ That _ girl seems like fun, like she’d be up for anything. 

That’s probably why Jughead cups Veronica’s face next and he seals their mouths together, roughly and hungrily. So much so, you could believe, he hasn’t had sex in a while. Which is not true. It just feels different and new with Veronica. She kisses back as roughly and doesn’t slow him down. And  _ thanks fuck for that _ , thinks Jughead. 

Her hands find his jacket and strip him of it and Jughead’s mind is yelling  **yes** . Even more when his shirt is following next, leaving him half-naked in front of Veronica. And Jughead has absolutely no issue with the way he looks, at least he doesn’t anymore, he can’t help but break the kiss to study Veronica’s face as she looks at him.

And the brunette clearly likes what she sees because Veronica looks like she could eat him up whole. That thought shouldn’t turn him on so much, but it does. Especially when her hands find his chest, exploring the pale skin with her fingertips, so slowly that it almost feels like torture. Jughead growls, he’s about to ask for more but Veronica surprises him when her right-hand goes lower, much lower, taking a hold of  _ him _ , right there, through his super expensive pants. Just like that, she reminds him how hard he actually is. She doesn’t stop there, she strokes him just as slowly, that devious smile on her face, right thought the fabric of the pants and his underwear. 

And Jughead should be embarrassed by his own reaction and the sounds coming from his mouth, but he doesn’t have the strength to care. Veronica did  _ this _ to him and she really needs to take care of this problem. However, he doesn’t plan on coming inside his pants, he’s not 16 for once and for someone who seemed unsure a few minutes ago about casual sex, she looks a little bit  _ too _ confident.

He wants to see how she looks when she lets go,  _ completely _ let go, that is. So it’s Jughead’s turn to move, and he grabs Veronica by the hips, rough and gentle at the same time, spinning her around and pressing his entire frame against hers. And the feeling of his own erection pressed against her ass is enough to drive him crazy but he inhales deeply and focuses on her. 

“God  _ Jughead _ ...” His hands cups her breasts through her dress and Jughead is glad Veronica’s not wearing a bra. And _so_ glad she’s  _ that _ responsive to him and his touches, she’s already arching against him and swaying her hips in the most sinful way, causing his hard-on to rub against her and there is no way she can not feel all the effect that she has on him. She’s the one pulling him for another kiss and Jughead is now sure he never felt this alive, every single nerve of his body is awake and maybe grinding against Veronica Lodge’s ass like a teenager shouldn’t feel this good, but it  _ does _ . It sure as hell  _ does _ . 

Fuck this, thinks Jughead a second later when he feels very close to the edge. No other girl has gotten this much from him doing this little, so he strips Veronica from her dress, sliding the straps off her shoulders softly. The brunette helps him in the process and she ends up part naked, except for the black lace underwear she’s wearing. And Veronica is beautiful, of course, she is, Jughead never had any doubt of that, she’s even prettier in that light, and he suddenly wishes he had more hands, to touch, brush and stroke every single part of her. 

Jughead doesn’t lose any focus however, he can’t, especially right now when he feels so close to already losing control and instead of teasing Veronica like he would love to do, his fingers trace a line from her collarbone to her chest. He doesn’t give her breasts the much-needed attention they deserve and he can hear a moan of almost pain and need falling from Veronica’s lips, but he ignores it and instead heads lower, retracing her flat stomach and Veronica is trembling against him as he reaches the fabric of her only piece of clothing. 

One of Jughead’s hands is resting on her hips, steadying her and pushing their bodies together, only increasing the tension and the intensity of the moment by a million, that and Veronica’s brown eyes that he can feel scanning his face, the brunette turning her head to the side to look at him. He wonders what he must look like, at this precise second, as his other hand finds its way inside the underwear with ease. The skin is smooth down there, so much so it could kill Jughead, but his fingers press on, right against the fold of Veronica’s insides and Jughead wants to die,  **yes** ,  _ die _ , as he feels the wetness against his fingers. All of that, because of a few kisses? All of that, because of  _ him _ ? 

“Oh god... Jughead... I... god please, don’t stop.” 

Jughead has to remember to breathe correctly as Veronica’s start begging, her voice is deep and demanding and he inhales and exhales deeply, taking in everything that’s happening. Because he has three fingers pressed right against Veronica’s Lodge entrance, not even inside of her, and she’s so wet already. She’s ready for him like she was made for this moment. 

So Jughead does the only sane thing he can think of and kisses her, there nothing gentle in that kiss, it's a bit hard and a bit clumsy, but he doesn’t care, he moves his fingers inside Veronica, rubbing all the right spot by doing so, causing the brunette to moan and break the kiss to say his name as she’s basically moving on her own, right against his fingers while her ass still brush against his erection. 

And that’s all Jughead can take, really, he needs to be inside Veronica  _ now _ . They move, very awkwardly to this bedroom, because for some reason they want to keep kissing and touching each other at the same time, so it takes them even more time than necessary. It’s the first time Veronica is in his room, parts of Jughead wants to point out, however, that thought dies right there when he sees Veronica collapsing on his bed. And he clearly expected Veronica to be the type of girl who wants to see their lover, maybe he could have hooked up one of her legs on his shoulder, or she could have straddle his lap and given him the ride of life... But  _ no _ . 

The brunette presses her palms against his cheap duvet cover, presenting him her back and in a beautiful and sinful way her ass, and her very long legs, somehow longer because she is still wearing her heels. 

“You... Veronica Lodge, are going to be the death of me.” Jughead doesn’t even realize that he is saying that out loud, what he gets is Veronica slightly turning her head to the side to look up to him, a smile still on her face. Oh, she knows what she’s doing, she knows exactly what she is doing and even in that position, she’s in control of everything. Jughead decides they both had enough of foreplay and with Veronica’s eyes still on him, he slides the underwear off of her, letting it fall down on her ankles, and she is suddenly very exposed, he can see all of  _ her _ from that angle and he can’t help but think that no woman has ever been this sexy in _that_ moment. Especially when she moves her hips slightly, clearly indicating that she is waiting for his next move. 

“Don’t move.” He whispers before he kisses her lower back, the gesture somehow more intimate than anything Jughead ever shared with anyone close - his pre-teen making out session with Betty, the first time he told the blond he loved her, his first time with Toni.... - . He aims for the nightstand close to them and he easily finds a condom. Maybe a bit too easily, he might want this but safety first and safety always and Jughead is sure Veronica can agree to that. 

Pushing down his zipper is easy as well, freeing himself from his own underwear feels liberating and he is so hard and so ready that the condom slips very easily on himself and Jughead’s hands are shaking by the time he presses his palms against Veronica’s hips. The air almost seems to be at a standstill as he presses the tip of himself, just right  _ there _ , he catches a glimpse of Veronica, looking back at him and in one fluid movement, he makes their bodies into one. 

And it’s hot and cold at the same time, but mostly, it feels insanely good and Veronica is gripping him  _ just _ the right amount and he moves. There is no time to be graceful or even do something else, he moves, pulling out and going inside, his hips slapping against her ass in the process, roughly and hardly. Maybe he should slow down, maybe he should try to make this last, but Jughead thinks as Veronica’s moans and soft cries fill up the room, it’s really not about  _ that _ . It’s just about the release, just about getting what they want, so he presses even harder against her hips and she joins in that unsynchronised dance and it’s hot the way she squirms under him that he wishes he could take a picture of the whole thing. 

“ _ God _ ... yes, yes, right there... Yes.” 

“Fuuuck...” 

Jughead doesn’t know who’s the loudest, didn’t know he could feel this good to be inside someone, didn’t know he would enjoy slipping in and out of Veronica’s body like this. They are just bodies right now, just flesh and she is trembling and moaning and gripping the sheet at the time as Jughead makes Veronica’s body his. When Veronica’s knees seem to be ready to give away, he pushes her even further down the bed, his hips remain still for a full minute, as, still inside of her, he moves her and she let him do so. 

Veronica is so pliant that it’s almost endearing and when she’s finally on her fourth on his bed, he’s still standing up on the edge of it, he moves again, giving them both what they need. Veronica seems to be liking the new arrangement because she’s suddenly more vocal and shifts her body under him, looks at Jughead over her shoulder as she angles herself just right, or does that insane thing where she suddenly feels tighter around him and that knocks all the air out of Jughead’s lungs. Just like  _ that _ . 

And he doesn’t realize how close he is, until he’s coming actually, he can’t even warn her, or make sure that she is close too, no, all it takes is Veronica begging, begging for a kiss and he leans on, doing his best to still buck his hips and be in and out of her. She reaches out too, one hand in his dark locks, pressing their lips together, it’s not so much of a kiss, but more of them breathing each other’s air, Veronica’s tongue tracing his lower lip with her tongue. It’s all it takes, or maybe it’s the smile he can feel forming on her face, all Jughead knows it that one moment he is inside of her and the next, he feels his entire body going limp and then it hits him.

Jughead doesn’t stop right away,  _ no _ , Veronica is still enjoying the friction between their two bodies and it takes a few more seconds until they’re not one and Jughead is breathing hard and heavy as he gets rid of the condom and collapses on the bed, right next to her. 

There is a silence, a new kind, only filled by their breathing and street sounds coming from the opened window. Jughead stares at the ceiling for a full minute and he looks down when Veronica presses herself against him. 

“That was... _wow_.” comments the brunette, one hand stroking his face. 

She looks gorgeous like this, Jughead decides, red lips all swollen, purple lipstick all messed up, her dark locks not to much organized and Jughead nods, because no words come to mind right now. 

Instead, he kisses her and he is surprised when Veronica’s hands are not on his hand but on the tip of his now very limp member. It’s Jughead’s turn to smile fondly while they are kissing... who the fuck knew Veronica Lodge was insatiable, He didn’t. 

“Think you can go again?” whispers Veronica as their noses are brushing each other. 

“... Just give me twenty minutes.” Jughead looks down, only to see that Veronica is still very much naked. Well except for her heels. “... Make that fifteen.” 

— 

Jughead sleeps soundly. And most surprisingly, he sleeps until 11 am. Which rarely happens, it usually means that he spent his night writing, collapsed on his computer around 6 am and woke up at 11 am. 

It’s not the case that particular morning and when Jughead wakes up, glance at the clock and then at his naked body, he remembers last night and while he feels so exhausted and groggy. 

So, he and Veronica had sex. And they didn’t just have sex once. No, they had a full on make out session in between and the second time, he was on top, right between her legs, looking down at the brunette moaning his name and making sure she got  _ there _ that time. And what a sight... She sure knew how to let go, and she had looked like a fucking goddess, moaning his name, trying to be silent but still getting a hold of the bed headboard af it was going to help her. 

But... no sign of Veronica in his room. No sign of Veronica anywhere, well except for the mess inside his bed and the discarded condoms on his floor. 

“Damn it.” 

Now, with the daylight, reality is finally hitting him. They  _ had _ sex. He had sex with his roommate. Not just some random girl down the street he would never see again. They would see each other again, and interact very soon. Jughead runs one hand through his hair, pushing the too long locks away and trying to figure out the rest. Veronica is probably back at work, doing her best to impress the senior editing team like she told him the night before. She is not purposefully avoiding him. Why would she? It’s _just_ sex. Things didn’t have to get messy... right? 

For the first time in... probably a long time, Jughead is not so sure about the answer right now. He finally stands up and looks for his phone and sees the time. He has a few missed calls, from Toni and Sweet Pea, asking him if he wants to hang out tonight but he ignores them. There is one text however that has all of his attention. 

 

> **Sorry I had to run. Didn’t have it in me to wake you up. I’m bringing food tonight, probably pizza since it’s your favorite. Might help us because we clearly need to talk.**
> 
> **Anyway see you.**
> 
> **xx**
> 
> **— Veronica, sent 8:32 am.**
> 
>  

Well at least, Jughead thinks, she is talking to me, and she doesn’t seem too mad. Not mad at all. A talk is needed clearly, that’s what mature adults do, they talk when there is some sort of difficulty, right?  _ Yeah _ . 

Jughead does his best to not overthink this and keeps his mind off everything really for the rest of the day. He ends up taking a very long cold shower, during which Veronica’s moans and that particular way she says his name keeps coming back to him and yes, he does touch himself, but he’s only human. 

After that, he deeps clean his room, head to the basement laundry room to get started on that. He tries to write while his clothes are getting cleaned and he fails miserably. All of his focus goes to last night, and Veronica and her heels, Veronica on her fourth on his bed, Veronica taking him in like she was made for him and him only. 

“Jesus  _ fuck _ ...” Jughead knocks his own head. Yes, the sex was good, but since when does he get caught all up in the details and replays them in his head? He doesn’t even do that with Toni, they have sex, it’s great and he moves on. 

And in the spirit of moving on, after his laundry, Jughead plants himself on their couch and in front of the TV, catching up on his Netflix list. That’s where he is, watching a couple of episodes of Orange is the New Black, when he hears the sound of fumbling keys. He turns his gaze to the door and he finds himself a bit stupid when Veronica enters the room, designer bag in one hand and pizza in the other. It’s just Veronica, nothing has changed.

And Jughead is ready to believe it, really, because she greets him like she would any other night and announces she has food. She then joins in on the couch, letting him split the pizza because they both know he’s going to end up eating 80% of it. 

“Ugh... Orange is the new black really? Can we eat in front of something a little bit funnier?”

“Oh and what do you suggest... watching the news perhaps?” replies Jughead. He shoves one slice into his mouth, pretends not to notice when Veronica is kicking off her heels to be more comfortable. 

Didn’t seem to be a problem last night. 

Oh  _ fucking _ get a grip Jones. 

“I don’t know but anything but that.... _please_?” Veronica’s request is simple enough and Jughead does his best not to remember the brunette begging in a different context a few hours ago and he simply gives up. He sighs, hands her the remote and instructs her to find something decent. Veronica chuckles, lightly, like she often does when they argue about little things like that, and takes the remote without any hesitation. 

A few minutes later, they are munching pizza in front of Stephen’s Universe, in complete silence. Not that Jughead is complaining, his mind is still racing and Veronica looks a bit exhausted. 

“Tough day at work?” he finally wonders after he has devoured his fourth slice and she’s only finishing her second. 

“Not that much, I just didn’t get any sleep last night so...” And what a statement, Veronica says it with a devious smile, so as a matter a fact that Jughead almost chokes on his own breath. Almost. He doesn’t, instead, he turns to Veronica, who has done the exact same thing, shifting on the couch to look at him. He has her full attention now that’s for sure. 

“Yeah about last night... Us having sex was not part of my plan, I want you to know that.” Jughead starts of the unpleasant conversation with such ease, he almost surprises himself. 

“God I know that... Do you think I planned for it either? It just sorts of happened.” 

“Yeah, it kinda did.” 

They stare back at each other, and if she hadn’t seen him naked the night before, Jughead might have blushed under Veronica’s gaze. He doesn’t however, he stares back, fully aware of what the look on her face means. Veronica is a control freak, yes, but it doesn’t just apply for work, it’s for her life as well, and right now she’s probably wondering if sleeping with Jughead is something to do or not. 

“The thing is...” Veronica starts her new sentence with a gentle tone like she doesn’t want to hurt his feelings and Jughead can’t help but roll his eyes, and interrupts her. 

“V. I _know_... we’re roommates, the sex might have been amazing but we still live together. It’s not supposed to happen. It would just make things weird.” 

“Exactly. And everything has been great so far... I just don’t want to jinx it because we couldn’t keep it in our pants.” 

“Hmm...” 

“I mean they are plenty of men and women on this godforsaken island. We had sex. It was good. I might brag about it in a few years, but right now I just want my really supportive, often hungry and probably not getting enough sleep roommate Jughead Jones.” 

And it shouldn’t warm his heart to hear those words coming from Veronica, but it does and Jughead can’t help but chuckle. Especially said in that tone and with that particular smile on her face, so sincere, so genuine.

“Okay. If you put it that way, we were pretty stupid.” 

“But hey... if I had to pick anyone to be stupid with, it would be you, Jones.” declares Veronica finally standing up and brushing the fabric of her skirt. “Ugh I’m exhausted, do you mind cleaning that, while I go take a shower?”

“No problem.” He mumbles. Veronica pats him on the shoulder before heading to her bathroom, and he can’t help but let his eyes wander, following the brunette. 

“And Lodge?”

“Hmm?” 

“For the stupid thing? Anytime.” 

 

—

 

Jughead can’t sleep that night. Of course, he can’t. Even after him and Veronica share chamomile tea on the couch. He pretends not to notice how cute the brunette is, hair wet from the shower, looking damn comfortable in her bathrobe, her glasses on her face. 

He doesn’t notice, just like he doesn’t how Veronica’s shampoo linger in the air. He retreats in his room late, trying to write, surrounded by his thoughts and the dark. It doesn’t work however. His mind keeps going back to his bed and to what they were doing a few hours ago. 

So now his bedroom is ruined? _Great_. 

Jughead shoves his laptop into his hands and heads for the living room, headphones on. He writes all night, doesn’t realize it until Veronica is heading out for her morning jog. 

“Hey did you sleep at all?” 

“Nope.” His reply is dry and fast and he doesn’t look up from his laptop, still typing. He apparently needs to write, that seems to be enough to drown the noise inside his head and keep Veronica’s moans away. 

He is still typing when she comes back and starts her morning. He is a bit startled as she approaches with his breakfast: coffee, a bagel, and an apple and he can’t help but smile looking up at her. 

“I’m fine.” 

“I know you say so... but please get some sleep okay? Tortured artist or not, you’re still human.” Veronica tries to be commanding and convincing as she steps inside her heels and she brushes his hair on the way out, wishing him a good day.

It is a good day of writing and it quickly becomes one, and two and then somehow... four. Before Jughead is aware of it, it’s the weekend and his phone is blowing up with texts from his friends. Most of them are from Toni who got from annoyed to be worried, because he hasn’t bothered responding. Jughead has just been in a good writing strike, that’s all. So much so that Veronica agreed to live him the living room those past few days, apparently not minding finding him still planted on the couch by the time she gets home.

“Okay Jones this is ridiculous... can you please reply to Toni, she is driving me insane now.” 

Veronica steps inside the living room as he is finishing his latest sentence, phone in one hand, the other on her hips. She is in full casual mode, no makeup and her glasses on and ... 

“Is _that_ a Riverdale High shirt you’re wearing? How nostalgic.” 

“It’s Archie’s. It got lost in my stuff years ago... and _don’t_ change the subject. She is worried about you and she mentioned a party downtown for some rich kid. And she’s dancing there or something... we should go I think. For support.” 

Jughead really wants to tease her some more about her shirt, ask her if Good Old Arch knows she still has the shirt, it’s mean and he knows it. But he also wants to write and he’s about to turn back to his laptop when Veronica sighs. 

“No, Jones. I’m intervening, you’re not Poe, we’re going out tonight. You’ve been cooped up in her for too long.” 

“Well if Veronica Lodge says so.” 

“Well I say so. Come on.” Veronica is the one closing his laptop this time and pulling it firmly from his hands and he can’t help but feel like a kid as she tells him to go shower because Toni’s event is in 2 hours which is enough time to find something to wear apparently. 

He doesn’t comment and head for said shower which is more than appreciated and after slipping into a fresh pair of jeans, a Led Zeppelin shirt topped up by yet another denim shirt, he feels more Jughead than he’s ever been. He steps into the kitchen and pours himself a large bowl of cereal while waiting for Veronica. 

He has to wait another half hour before he hears the distinctive sound of Veronica’s heels coming into their share space. And Jughead is very glad is mouth is full otherwise he would have dropped his jaw at Veronica’s outfit, saying she looks _hot_ would be an understatement. Her hair is different, curlier and somehow bouncier than usual, and her makeup seems to be darker than usual, matching her black clothes: she’s wearing a black leather short topped up by one of those see-through tops, revealing an elegant bra and her curves. 

“... Am I underdressed?” asks Jughead, for probably the first time in his life. 

“You like it? I wasn’t sure. But Toni texted me and said that she doesn’t want me to dress like my bossy like elegant self, so I’m mixing it up. Too much?” 

Veronica spins around, and Jughead’s eyes land on her legs looking impossibly long right now and then back to her bra. 

“Nope, it’s perfect. But you’re gonna get a lot of attention tonight, just saying.” 

“Well... I guess that’s just life.” Veronica shrugs and Jughead wants to ask her who she is. Is she the same girl who was almost terrified at the idea of letting people in her life a few weeks ago? He has a bad influence on her, that’s for sure, Toni as well, Jughead decides. 

The same Toni who is so relieved to see him when they finally make it to the party. It’s too noisy and too crowded for Jughead’s liking, but Toni seems to be happy to have landed this gig and his favorite people are here so it's all good. 

“Don’t you dare ghost me again, Jones.” Toni is shaking him by the shoulders as she says that. “I thought you left town to be emo somewhere else.” 

“What? And leave you behind? No way it’s happening Topaz, no way.” Jughead pulls Toni into a hug as he says that, truly glad to see his friends. Sweet Pea and Fangs comment on them being sappy and Veronica takes a picture of them both because they look so damn cute together. 

“Yeah we do... too bad this one is a nutcase, otherwise, we would have made such a cute couple.” Toni’s laughter is contagious and Jughead decides to take the hit because it’s been a while, he squeezes Toni even tighter inside his arms, pretending to be a clingy boyfriend. 

“You love this nutcase Topaz, if I were sane and decent our path would have never crossed.” 

“Says the writer. God, you’re such a romantic, I kinda pity the girl you’re ever going to fall in love with, you’re probably going to bring her flowers. And breakfast in bed. _Ew_. Disgusting”

“Are we counting the time I brought you a burrito in bed?” teases Jughead, just because he can. 

“Do you mean an actual burrito...” wonders Sweet Pea. 

“Or are you talking about your dick again like you always do?” finishes Fangs.  There is laughter, common laughter shared amongst friends and everyone is laughing. Well everyone except Veronica and Jughead notices it a second too late. It’s quick though, just a frown on her face when Toni accuses him of being the worst and plants a kiss on his cheek. Just a frown and next, the brunette is smiling and wishing Toni good luck as she announces that she has to go backstage because the show is about to start. 

“Enjoy... and please stay for the after-party. It’s going to be epic, lots of girls and lots of alcohol.” 

They take their respective seats, they are far from the stage though, the main crowd is mainly college students and the boy who is celebrating his birthday. It should be weird to crash someone’s else party, except that it’s not, and he is mostly here for Toni. His eyes drift to Veronica however, Sweet Pea and Fangs are sitting next to each other and the brunette wastes no time taking the seat that Toni has been occupying. 

“Hey, you okay?” Jughead has to lean into her space to ask the question. The show seems to start as he asks, all of the lights are turned off except the one from the stage, leaving everyone in semi-darkness. But he’s close enough to see that the smile on Veronica’s face is a fake one. 

“Perfect. What about you?” 

“You know we were joking right...? Toni and I are not a couple, we will never be one.” Jughead feels foolish to say that out loud, maybe he misread the whole situation. Veronica and he agreed not to sleep together ever again, and it’s been five days and his body seem to be forgetting the taste of her lips. They are friends, right?

“I know that. It’s just...” Veronica rolls her eyes, clearly frustrated. And slightly angry... at who... _him_? The music finally starts and she sits up. “Can we not talk about this now? Or at all.” 

“... Okay, but for the record, you’re the one being weird about it.” Jughead whispers the word directly into her right ear. Veronica sighs, loudly, as the first row of dancers appears, no sign of Toni though. And he is still looking for her when Veronica leans into his space to reply. 

“The thing is... the sex was really  good. And maybe just maybe I don’t want to be smart about it. Maybe I just want us to keep having sex and leave it to that. It doesn’t seem to have to ruin your relationship with Toni so...But it’s not smart.”

“Then _don’t_ be.” Jughead’s reply is instant and he wants to die when one of Veronica’s hands land on his thigh. Only to go up. And _up_. 

“Oh now?” 

“Fuck yes now.” 

And Jughead is more than happy to do something stupid. For once. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> feedback is always appreciated ❤


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